A New Exploration
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: COMPLETE! Now that Regina is free from the confines of a relationship orchestrated by her producers and Emma has moved to Montréal to start a new chapter in her life, what is in store for the two women? Linear snapshots into SQ's lives and Part III of the 'A Serendipitous Encounter' verse and a sequel to 'A Montréal Excursion'. Mostly fluff. (Epilogue forthcoming).
1. Moving Day

**A/N:** Hello! This is the third installment of my _A Serendipitious Encounter_ universe. If you haven't read that fic and its sequel ( _A Montréal Excursion_ ), you should probably do that first so that this will make sense...each one is 60k-ish, so it shouldn't take too long. I know a few of you have binged one or both in one weekend, so it can be done ;) You might be able to follow along even if you haven't read the first two, but the backstory is important to explain how the two women got to where they are/why they are who they are, and how other people tie in (this story will definitely be focused on SQ, but other characters will pop in and out as needed...per some reader requests, you will see more of Regina's castmates in at least one chapter, since they haven't been seen since the first fic in the series).

This fic will be written as snapshots into the lives of Regina and Emma post-Emma's move for her new job and post-Regina's separation from Robin. Each chapter will likely jump ahead in order to keep things moving, as both of the previous fics took place over a very short period of time, and I want SQ to be able to progress more quickly now that they're in it to win it. For the most part, each chapter will be able to stand on its own as a one shot (with an occasional cliffhanger or two-parter), but there will be threads that tie all the chapters together/things that happen in one chapter may be setting the stage for something a few chapters later. So, it's kind of a hybrid between oneshots and a regular multi-chapter fic. The lengths will probably vary widely, depending on how much needs to happen in each chapter's scenario.

Anyway, let's get started. This first chapter was the original epilogue to _AME_ , but when I decided to do another sequel I wrote a new epilogue to take place at an earlier point in time so this one could be the launching point for the final fic. (I posted this at the same time as the epilogue to _AME_ , so if you received the email notification about my new fic and clicked on it before reading the epilogue, go and read that one first). This takes place three weeks after the _AME_ epilogue. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 ** _October 15, 6pm_**

Emma placed the last of her boxes on the floor of her new apartment — well, technically it was Regina's apartment. Per Regina's suggestion, they had drawn up a formal lease agreement to protect them both just in case, so Emma was officially her tenant for the next twelve months.

She looked around at the boxes scattered around the unit, debating which one to start unpacking first. As promised, Regina had left everything Emma could ever need in the apartment, from extra bed linens to plates and silverware. She had also been adamant, though, that she wanted Emma to feel at home and to make it her own, so she was welcome to add or take down any art on the walls, change out the area rugs, or rearrange the furniture as she wished. The apartment came with a large storage unit that was virtually empty, so anything Emma didn't want could be moved there for safekeeping. But, Emma loved it as it was. Aside from setting up a few necessities for Adagio, namely a cat tree by the large back window, a litterbox, and food dish, and adding a few framed personal photos to display on the shelves around the apartment, she already felt at home.

An hour later, Emma had finished unpacking the boxes of clothing and organizing her closet. She heard a knock on the door and walked over to answer it, smiling when she saw the brunette standing on the landing. "Getting settled?" Regina asked as she stepped into the apartment.

Emma leaned in for a chaste kiss as she closed the door behind her. "I am. And why did you knock? You do have a key," Emma pointed out.

"I do, but this is your home now. I want to respect that. I don't want to barge in unannounced."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I appreciate that, but feel free to come and go as you wish. I would have given you a key to anywhere I was staying anyway, even if you didn't own the place. You're always welcome here."

The brunette smiled as she dropped her weekender bag on the ground and shrugged off her black leather jacket, tossing it on the back of the couch as she walked toward the kitchen. It was then that Emma noticed the plastic bags of takeout in her hand. "I stopped by that Thai place we had last time on the way…I'm starving," she explained as she set it on the counter and took out two plates from a cabinet. "How's the unpacking going?"

"It's going. The bedroom and bathroom are done and all of Adagio's things are unpacked, so there's just a few more random boxes to go," she said, walking over to the fridge. "Beer or wine?"

"A beer would be great," Regina said as she sat down at the island and started devouring the noodles on her plate. "Speaking of Adagio, where is the cute little furball?"

"She's locked in the master bathroom for now. She needs to adjust to the new place gradually," Emma said as she quickly joined Regina at the island, handing her the beer. "How was your flight?"

"It was good. I have to admit I'm glad it only takes 90 minutes to come see you rather than five hours by boat, especially when I can only stay for a few days at a time."

"I imagine it does make the commute much less taxing on you," she replied. "Have you seen Robin yet?"

Regina shook her head. "No, not yet. I texted him when I landed, but I took an Uber here straight from the airport. I told him I would stop by tomorrow to pack up the rest of my things," Regina explained. Now that their impending divorce was public knowledge, Regina wanted to clear out most of her things from the apartment she had shared with Robin. During the last few days of August before she had to head back to film and after Emma had returned to Maine, she had tried to start packing up her belongings to help make the process easier. She hadn't been back to Montreal since, though, so she hadn't made much progress.

Emma had been able to help a bit, as she had spent the last two weeks staying with Robin in Regina's room while she waited for her apartment to be ready, mainly helping to clear out Regina's closet and pack her clothing into boxes. She had brought some of Regina's things with her when she moved her own boxes over earlier that day. "A handful of your boxes are stacked in the guest room for now, until you decide where you want to put them," Emma said. "I didn't know if you wanted to take them to Halifax or leave them here. There's plenty of closet space if you want to keep them here for when you're in town."

Regina smiled. "Thanks. That would make things easier."

"Of course. Do you want me to go with you tomorrow to Robin's?" Emma asked. She wanted to be there for her, but she didn't want to impose — she wasn't sure if this was something Regina felt she needed to do alone.

"If you're free, sure. I know you must be exhausted from moving today, though, so I don't want to force you to come help me move my crap around."

"It's not a problem. If nothing else, I can keep Henry and Roland occupied while you pack. As I learned, they aren't the best helpers. They spent most of their time trying to unpack the things I had already packed," she laughed.

"That would be great, actually. Robin said they're still confused by our sudden split, so I imagine it'll be an emotionally draining day for everyone tomorrow."

Emma nodded. "Do they know about Gwen yet? I wanted to ask Robin after he got back from visiting her last week, but I didn't want to pry."

"No, not yet. The boys have seen her a bit more and now that she's past the first trimester she told them that she's pregnant, but they don't know that he's the father yet. I think he wants to wait a little longer to help them get used to all the changes before dropping that bombshell on them."

"Makes sense," Emma said, taking the last bite of her pad thai and taking the empty plates to the sink, chuckling to herself.

"What?" Regina asked.

"I still can't believe that people thought Robin and I were having an affair," Emma answered, thinking back to the social media speculation that had cropped up over the past three weeks. They had been spotted together in public a few times after she moved to Montréal, which was inevitable considering she was staying with him while waiting for the last Airbnb renters to leave Regina's apartment. He had also offered her a job as a bartender at Locksley Bistro when he learned she was looking for a part-time job to help her supplement her rehearsal and teaching paychecks, so they had been seen leaving his restaurant together in the early hours of the morning a few times. One of Regina's fans, who declared herself the next Perez Hilton, had even seen Emma walking into Robin's apartment building and using her own key to enter. The girl had posted a photo online saying _'Regina's dance coach is now living with her soon-to-be ex-husband! Ouch.'_

"Honestly, I don't know how we didn't see that coming," Regina said with a laugh, sliding off the stool and taking her beer into the living room, where she promptly sat down on the couch and propped her feet up. "We were so worried about how it would look when you and I were seen together that we didn't even think that they would tie you to him once I was gone."

Emma quickly joined her on the couch, curling into her side. "I just can't believe how quickly the fans flipped from 'Oh my God she's having a lesbian affair' to 'holy shit her husband is cheating on her with the woman we thought was her secret mistress'…they seem very fickle."

Regina chuckled. "Pretty much. Everyone loves a good scandal. I'm just surprised they never thought we were all in some polyamorous thruple situation. It probably won't take long until they flip their speculation back to us again, though, especially since I'm staying with you while I'm in town."

Emma looked up at her. "Is that going to be a problem with the whole morality and public image clause in your contract?"

Regina shook her head. "No. And if it is, I really couldn't care less at this point. But, I am going to try to keep a low profile when I'm in town, just because I want to be able to have a little privacy and don't want people following us around all the time, especially since you're still getting acclimated to living here. I learned from my relationship with Robin how invasive the media and fans can be, even when they mean well. It put a lot of strain on us, and we were never a real couple. I don't want them doing that to us, at least not until we have a really solid foundation," she said before changing the subject. "How have rehearsals been going?"

"Really well," Emma smiled. "The pieces this season are really great. I'm excited by the work we're doing, and the other dancers have been wonderful so far. Even though they're amazing and the company is well-respected, everyone is so much more chill here than they were in New York, or even in Portland. The attitude is much different…it's refreshing."

"I noticed that too when I first moved here. That's why I love it. It was a really nice change of pace from LA," Regina agreed.

"Oh, and we have an industry audition in two weeks at the studio."

Regina furrowed her brow in confusion. "What does that entail?"

Emma shrugged. "I guess different companies and media studios rent out our studio to hold auditions for their commercials or events or whatever. Lily said that a lot of them like using our company members, so we're always encouraged to attend."

"Are you going to do it?"

Emma shrugged. "Probably. I haven't auditioned for anything like that before so it'll be an interesting experience, if nothing else. They told us to be prepared for the usual contemporary work but also to bring heels."

Regina couldn't hold back a laugh. "Please film this so I can watch it later."

"Rude."

"Sorry," Regina chuckled unapologetically. "You were wonderful at the drag show when you went all Britney on stage, so I'm sure you'll be great. What is this audition for?"

"It's for a few different things since several casting directors will be there, but they won't give us the specifics up front due to contractual rules or something. They said one is a big gala fundraiser, one is for a music video, and one is for some teen drama TV show that is doing a nightmare sequence that requires dancers."

"That's quite a range of options."

"I know. It's kind of random," Emma shrugged, nuzzling into Regina's neck and placing a soft kiss on her pulse point.

"When is your first company performance? I'd love to see it, as long as I'm not filming that night," she asked, pulling Emma in closer.

"Really?"

"Of course. You know I love watching you. I want to see what you've been up to."

"We have a winter engagement the last weekend of January for two nights, and then a larger performance the first week of June."

"Perfect. That should work," she said, shifting to pull Emma on top of her as she tilted her head up to kiss the blonde. Emma knowingly moved her thigh between Regina's, pressing into her slightly and causing the woman beneath her to raise an eyebrow and breathily moan. "Do you want to christen the sofa or shall we relocate?"

Emma sat up, straddling Regina's hip as she slowly dragged fingers down the center of her girlfriend's chest, circling her index finger in the valley of her breasts as she pretended to think it over. She bit her lip seductively before smirking. "It's been three weeks…I don't want to be constrained by the limited space on the couch." She jumped off the sofa before sauntering toward the bedroom, leaving a flushed Regina to quickly follow.

 ***.*.***

"I've missed this," Regina said later that night when they were curled up in Emma's bed. She was resting her head on Emma's shoulder and absentmindedly running her finger along Emma's bare torso under the covers.

Emma turned her head toward the woman, meeting the rich chocolate eyes that were looking up at her. "What, the sex?" she smirked.

Regina laughed. "Well, yes. But, I mainly meant this…getting to sleep next to you, just being with you and relaxing."

"Me, too," Emma agreed. "But, you'll get sick of me eventually. We haven't been able to spend more than a week at a time together yet."

"I don't think I'll ever get sick of you, Emma," Regina said seriously, rolling over a bit to fully wrap herself around the blonde. "Besides…you're really comfortable. I sleep better when we're together."

Emma laughed as she tightened the hold she had on her girlfriend, kissing the top of her head as she did so. "I'm glad I can be of use." She reached out and intertwined her fingers with the ones still dancing across her abdomen, pulling the woman closer. As she did, she noticed the lack of a certain jewelry item. "You took off your ring," she commented, running her thumb across the naked finger.

"I did. Now that our separation is public knowledge, there's no use in keeping up that pretense. It's in my bag so I can give it back to Robin tomorrow. I haven't seen him since we made the announcement, so I haven't had the chance to do it yet." Regina snuggled into her even more before looking up at her again. "So, your 30th birthday is coming up in a few weeks, right? Anything you want to do to celebrate it?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. It's so weird to be turning thirty," Emma chuckled.

"Need I remind you that I hit that milestone five years ago? Be careful what you say," Regina playfully warned, draping her forearm across Emma's sternum and resting her chin on the back of her hand as she looked at the emerald eyes staring back at her. "But seriously, do you have plans?"

Emma nodded, realizing that in all the craziness of the past six weeks, she hadn't mentioned it. "Yeah, actually. I'm visiting Ruby in Chicago for five days. She missed my 25th birthday, so I had promised her that we would celebrate my big 3-0 together. I bought plane tickets months ago, but I have no idea what she has planned. She wanted it to be a surprise, so I'm letting her run with it...which is kind of scary, truthfully." She heard Regina suppress a giggle and looked at her with confusion. "What?"

"That's kind of perfect, actually."

"How so?"

"We all have a _Frozen Mirror_ convention in Chicago that weekend. If you were free and wanted to come out for it, I was going to try to reschedule my flight so I could take a long weekend instead of just being there for my one appearance on Saturday. Do you think Ruby will be willing to part with you for one day of your trip so I could borrow you?"

"Of course…but do you want to risk being seen together? It's one thing to be seen where we live, but if people think we're traveling together…even though this actually would be coincidental, I don't think anyone will buy that excuse."

"Fuck it. I don't care…or, we can just stay in the hotel room all day and never see another soul. I'm sure we can keep ourselves occupied," she winked, trailing her fingers across Emma's hipbone, running them dangerously close to where Emma was still feeling tender from their earlier reconnection.

"I wouldn't object to that."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Regina smiled, placing a kiss on Emma's clavicle. "Have you told Ruby about us yet?"

Emma shook her head. "No, not yet. I wasn't sure if you would care if she knew."

Regina propped herself up on her elbow so she could better look into Emma's eyes. "Emma, even though I don't necessarily want the entire world to know my personal business just yet, I don't want you to feel like you need to hide it from the important people in your life. If you trust her and want to tell her, you should. If you feel like you have to hide us from the people you care about, you'll eventually start to resent me. I don't want that to happen."

"Okay… she probably won't believe me anyway, but maybe I'll tell her when I see her in-person at the end of the month."

"Why wouldn't she believe you?"

"She's been making stupid comments about us since we first met. She's apparently well aware of the rumors about you and Mal, and kept suggesting that there was something going on between us, but I know she was definitely joking. I think she'll just think I'm trying to get back at her."

"Well, if she doesn't believe you we can always prove it to her like we did when we told Killian."

Emma smiled. "That could be fun."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks again for supporting this universe! _ASE_ was my first foray into writing Swanqueen (or any F/F fics, actually) and you have all been so supportive and motivating that it makes writing it even more fun for me. I hope you're up for the journey and will follow along. I hope to post relatively regularly, but since these mostly stand on their own, updates might not be as frequent as the previous two fics, especially since I have another multi-chapter fic underway — there will definitely be at least one or two updates per month, maybe more if I'm feeling really ambitious and inspired. Also, I'm happy to take prompts for any events in their lives you want to see — I have about 10 already that I've come up with and am plotting out, but I'm open to suggestions, particularly if I can fit them into the existing structure I'm setting up. And rest assured, their relationship will become public/Regina's coming out will happen in this story. Feel free to leave any prompts in the reviews or PM me directly :).


	2. A Windy City Weekend

**A/N** : Thanks for sticking it out and following their continued journey! I am seriously blown away by the response to this entire verse, all based on a random idea I had after watching one of the OUAT Comic-Con panels on youtube and thought "hmm, what if Regina was an actor at Comic-Con and fell for someone she randomly met while she escaped the craziness?". I never thought it would all emerge into this.

Anyway, the saga continues...this is a longer chapter because it spans two days. Enjoy Emma in Chicago for her birthday and Regina in town for a _Frozen Mirror_ con. And per reviewer requests, a few of Regina's co-stars pop in for cameo appearances. (We'll see more of them later on in the fic, but I wanted a few of them to at least say "hello" in this chapter). If you're reading this fic and haven't actually read _A Serendipitous Encounter_ , I'd recommend at least going back and reading Ch. 9 and 10 of that fic, because it provides background info that will help conversations in this chapter make sense...and maybe ch. 5 and 7, too, because those events are briefly referenced in this chapter, along with some things from ch. 2 of _A Montreal Excursion_ , though those are more minor).

* * *

 ** _Friday, October 27, 7:30am_**

"Wait, seriously?" Emma asked incredulously as she looked at Ruby across the breakfast table in the brunette's Arlington Heights apartment. Emma had turned thirty a few days earlier and had flown out to the Chicago suburb for a week to visit one of her best friends and celebrate the milestone occasion. "That's where we're going today?"

Ruby shrugged. "Yep. Granted, I put our names on the list over a year ago, before you became all buddy-buddy with Regina Mills. It would probably be a lot more exciting for you if you didn't see her all the time, but I had no way of knowing that would happen back then." Ruby had been surprising Emma each day of her visit with various outings and events. They had gone to see one of the best dance companies in Chicago perform earlier in the week, saw _Hamilton_ the night before, and that morning Ruby announced that she had signed them up to volunteer at the _Frozen Mirror_ convention for the next three days.

"We're not 'buddy-buddy'," Emma laughed. "And it'll be fun to work a con. I haven't ever been to one, other than the half day I spent in New England. It'll be entertaining to see it all up close and from the other side."

"Okay, good. Then finish getting dressed and then we can go. We have to be there by nine."

 ***.*.***

In terms of volunteer placements, Ruby and Emma lucked out. They were assigned to the photo ops room, helping to keep the lines in order and moving along. The first day of the convention featured Mary-Margaret and David, along with Daniel. Regina, Zelena, and Graham would be the main stars on Saturday, while Belle, Ingrid, and Ingrid's new on-camera love interest Hyde would be on stage Sunday. Only the first few episodes of the season had aired by the time the convention arrived in Chicago, but fans were already loving the addition of Hyde to complement Ingrid's character, who had been single for ages. As Regina had told Emma one night on the phone after filming, Gold and the rest of the creative team were extremely happy about it. "After Ingrid's lesbian strip club bachelorette party scandal this summer, combined with my divorce and then our on-stage kiss at the drag show when you were visiting, fans became even more demanding for our two characters to hook up. In true Gold fashion, he quickly found an attractive dude to pair up Ingrid with, and the fans are eating it up…well, some fans, anyway," Regina had said.

Mary-Margaret and David were finishing up their duo photo session as the lines began to form for David's solo session. As Mary-Margaret prepared to head out for a quick cigarette break before her autograph signing fifteen minutes later, she detoured toward Emma in the center of the room, her bodyguard for the event not far behind. "Emma! I thought that was you," the pixie-haired brunette said as she approached.

"Mary-Margaret, hi!" Emma said as the smaller woman engulfed her into a bone-crushing hug. The brunette was nothing if not enthusiastic. "How are you?"

"I'm good! So, you're volunteering here?"

"Yeah. My friend Ruby signed us up a year ago, apparently. I'm in town visiting her for my birthday week."

"Oh, that's so exciting! Happy Birthday!"

"Miss Blanchard, we need to go," the gruff bodyguard spoke up from behind her.

"Hold on a second," she scolded before turning back toward Emma. "I don't know if Regina told you, but I wanted to apologize again for the way that I behaved that night at the hotel party," she said, lowering her voice. "I was drunk and jumped to conclusions."

Emma laughed. "It's quite all right, Mary-Margaret. I totally get it. I would've been shocked too, if I were you."

"It's a shame about Robin and Regina, though," the woman commented.

Emma suddenly felt awkward and shrugged. "I suppose, but if it's what they want, then it's for the best."

"You're right. I actually haven't seen her this happy in all the years I've known her. It's a little disconcerting that she's so happy about her separation, to be honest," Mary-Margaret said, causing Emma to bite back a smile, knowing that she was part of the reason for Regina's newfound happiness. The blonde then nearly choked as Mary-Margaret continued her train of thought. "If I didn't know better, I would think that she has found some new young thing to keep her occupied."

"Maybe…you'd have to ask her about that. I wouldn't know," was all Emma could say. "It was great to see you, Mary-Margaret, but I should get back to work and make sure these fangirls don't accost your husband."

"Oh yes, please do. I hope I'll see you again before we leave!" she said as she was encouraged to leave by her security detail, cutting it close for her next engagement.

Emma turned back to the line to help make sure the guests were in numerical order, and that's when she noticed a few teen girls were staring at her. As she approached them to check their numbers, she looked back at them. "What?" she asked, peering at their photo op printouts.

"Mary-Margaret Blanchard hugged you," one of them said.

"Yeah…" Emma replied.

"You're so lucky!" one of the other girls said. The girl was cosplaying as Ingrid's character. "Are you friends with her?"

Emma quickly replied, knowing that the girls wouldn't relent until they got an answer and not wanting to draw more attention to herself. "No, we're not friends. We've just met a few times before and haven't seen each other in awhile. She was just saying hi."

"Okay, you're still super lucky," the girl dressed as Ingrid reiterated.

Emma shrugged in response, but soon heard another voice behind the group of girls in line. "Wait a second," the new girl said. "You're Emma Swan from Instagram. You're friends with Regina Mills!"

"Yeah! That's why you look so familiar!" one of the girls from the original group, who was dressed as Regina's character, said.

Emma silently cursed herself. When Ruby told her they were volunteering, she did her best to try to disguise herself, knowing that a lot of the shows fans had started following her on Instagram after the events of the summer. She and Regina hadn't been seen together since her vacation ended, and Regina hadn't posted anything online that didn't directly relate to the show, so she was hoping that some of the scrutiny into her own life may have calmed down. All the volunteers had to wear the official Frozen Mirror Con staff t-shirts, but she had been able to put on a Chicago Bears baseball hat to try to hide herself. Clearly, it was unsuccessful. "Guilty as charged," Emma nervously laughed.

"Is Regina as nice in-person as she seems to be?" one of them asked, clearly enthralled by Emma's presence.

"Yeah, she's great," Emma said, wanting desperately for the conversation to end.

"So, you are friends with her?" The Regina cosplay girl asked.

Emma nodded her head and hummed affirmatively in response, growing rapidly more uncomfortable with each passing second. Unfortunately, the two groups of girls were at the end of the line for the first group of photo ops, so she had nowhere else to go. She was already at her assigned post.

The girl continued: "Did you really meet her at a con?"

Emma shook her head. "Not really. I wasn't at the con. I was in rehearsal down the street and we both happened to be at Starbucks. She was pressed for time and asked to cut in front of me in line."

"Oh my God, you're so lucky," the Ingrid girl said for the third time in the three minutes they had been standing there. She then turned to her friends. "Guys, that totally could have been us. We could have been Regina's new friends! Damn it."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"No offense guys, but Regina's like 35, and you're like 14. If it had been you there that day, you wouldn't be friends with her now," one of the other volunteers said. He had been standing close by keeping an eye on the general flow of the room and overheard the conversation.

"Plus, aren't you like her dance teacher or something?" one of the girls from the other group said.

Emma nodded. "Yeah. As Mary-Margaret and David announced in their opening panel this morning, _Frozen Mirror_ is doing a musical episode and Regina wanted to get an early start on prepping since she'll be doing a dance number in it." She was suddenly very thankful for Robin's foresight when they had figured out how to address the reason for Regina and Emma's "friendship" in the public. He had warned them that fans might think it could happen to them if they saw Emma as a random fan, and that could be problematic in the long run. While Sidney had been a fake stalker orchestrated by Regina's mother to scare Regina into doing what Cora wanted her to do, a few other fans over the years had been close to crossing the line of their own accord.

"Ugh, you're so lucky," the girl said yet again.

"Can we get a selfie with you?" one of the others asked.

"Oh, umm, maybe later, but I need to do my job and man my station," she politely replied.

"But, this is your job. You're already here talking to us. It's just one photo," one of the girls argued.

"Sorry, guys," Emma said, not wanting to get into an argument.

The girls scoffed and rolled their eyes, some of them obviously tweeting about their interaction with the blonde.

A few minutes later the girls were still bitching about Emma, talking loudly enough that she could hear them. The volunteer who had joined the conversation returned, along with one of the volunteer coordinators. "Hey Emma," the woman said. "We need some more volunteers in the panel room to help out. I'd like you and Ruby to go in there."

"Absolutely," Emma responded, sending a grateful look to the other volunteer who smiled back and winked at her. Emma assumed he had filled in the coordinator on the situation and helped her out. At least in the panel room she would be able to be a fly on the wall and would have less direct interaction with the fans.

 ***.*.***

"So what were you talking to Mary-Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan about?" Ruby asked that night when they were back at her apartment. Since Ruby's apartment was only twenty minutes from where the convention was being held, they didn't bother getting a room at the hotel.

"Mostly the musical episode," Emma answered as she took a bite of mandarin chicken from her Chinese takeout container. At the end of the day, the volunteers all had a chance to quickly meet the actors before they had to work the night's main event, which was a screening of the episode that would air that evening.

During the screening, Mary-Margaret and David had come up to Emma to catch up with her. "So, you're really coaching Regina for the musical episode? How's that going?" Mary-Margaret had asked.

"Oh, it went well. I really just worked with her that one week in August, so we haven't had a chance to do much more," she had said.

"Regina is quite talented. I'm excited to see what they do with her for the episode," David had added.

"Same," Emma replied. "She picked up everything really quickly. She's great," Emma had confirmed.

Ruby asked another question, drawing Emma's attention back to her friend rather than the slightly odd interactions she had had with Mary-Margaret throughout the day. "Do you know where the actors stay? Obviously they're not going to be at the convention hotel with all the fans."

Emma shrugged. "I'm not sure. In Portland they had an entire hotel to themselves, but that's because there were ton of franchises there so with all the actors and crew at the con, they could fill the whole hotel. Regina said that for these they usually stay at a nice hotel somewhere that's not too far of a hike, but far enough that fans probably won't be staying there for the con. For this one I think they're somewhere downtown."

"You sure seem to know a lot about their logistics," Ruby said, raising her eyebrows. "So, you're really her dance coach?"

"Yes…among other things," she smirked.

"Oh, do tell," Ruby encouraged.

Emma sighed and quickly recounted a shortened version of the story. Ruby already knew everything that happened up through the Saturday morning of the New England Comic-Con, which was the morning after Regina had crashed at Emma's apartment after partying with Emma, Ruby, Neal, August, and Killian in Storybrooke that Friday night. After Emma met up with Ruby and her friends at the con Saturday morning, thanks to the guest pass Regina had given her, Emma ditched Ruby to spend the rest of the day with Regina. At the time, Emma told Ruby she was going back home because she was tired, and she had stuck to that story in the time since. Emma quickly explained to Ruby that in actuality, she had spent more time with Regina and hung out with the cast and that Regina had kissed her. She then explained that she had gone to Montréal that summer to explore their relationship, but that the dance coach story was to cover their asses in case they were seen together. "So you were right, Rubes. We're totally doing each other," she smirked.

Ruby was startled upon that admission. "Nuh-uh."

"Seriously," Emma confirmed.

"Emma, you're so full of shit," Ruby said, throwing a fortune cookie at her.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Ruby."

"If she's actually your girlfriend, I know you have photos that aren't from social media…or texts or something. Pics or it didn't happen," Ruby demanded, holding out her palm for Emma's phone.

Emma rolled her eyes. She loved her friend, but she was starting to notice the age difference between them. At 25, Ruby still had her moments of immaturity. "I don't have any proof, Ruby. You just have to take my word for it," she said. Emma had deleted all the pictures from her phone after she saved them to her laptop, just in case her phone got stolen. She even deleted her text chain with Regina after finding out that she was going to the con —it would be risky to have it on there, in case someone got ahold of her phone.

"I knew you were making it up," Ruby smiled in victory.

"You're the one who kept hinting that there was something between us, and now when I say there is you're calling me a liar?"

"Yes. You're a terrible liar, Emma. It would make for a great fanfic, though."

Emma just shrugged. "Believe what you want, Ruby."

* * *

 ** _Saturday, October 28, 9:30am_**

Ruby and Emma picked up their Starbucks orders from the hotel lobby and headed back toward the main ballroom where the second day welcoming panel would be starting soon. They were once again switched to the panel room from the photo ops, which Emma figured was wise considering the chaos from the previous day when she was recognized…she could only imagine what would happen if she was assigned to Regina's photo room. Emma looked down at her phone and smiled. "What has you so happy?" Ruby asked as they walked down the hall.

"Nothing," Emma chuckled as she covertly watched the snapchat message Regina had sent her, a short video of her blowing a kiss from the backseat of her car on the way to the convention. She wasn't sure if she would be able to see her girlfriend at all that day, other than on stage during her panels. They had been texting most of the morning, though. Regina had asked her if Ruby believed her, and she had quickly texted back, _'of course not.'_ Emma had thought about showing Ruby the message as the "proof" she had demanded the night before, but then thought that maybe it was better if Ruby didn't believe her, especially with all the fans around.

The opening panel that morning featured Zelena and Regina, because fans loved seeing the on-screen sisters together. Their on-screen relationship portrayed a loving family, but Zelena was far from Regina's favorite castmate. But, they were able to keep it professional, and their on-stage banter at cons looked more like friendly teasing rather than the underhanded bickering it actually was. Regina was always annoyed by Zelena's need to stir up gossip at those events. She was known for jumping into fan speculation about upcoming character plotlines, shipwars, and even some behind-the-scenes gossip at every opportunity. Regina was surprised that Zelena didn't get more of a scolding from Gold for her behavior at cons.

As Emma helped keep the line to the microphone organized, she rolled her eyes. Zelena was once again trying to outshine Regina as she answered a fan's question. The blonde's eyes then widened in surprise as the next question was asked by the 20-something guy who was standing at her microphone. "My question is for Regina…so, are you currently seeing anyone? Can you describe your perfect boyfriend for us?"

"Oh, um," Regina stuttered, temporarily stymied by the question, especially since Emma was standing right next to the guy who had asked it. "I don't think there is such a thing as a 'perfect boyfriend.' Everyone has their strengths and flaws, and to me I just like when I find someone who balances my own strengths and weaknesses. Thanks," she said before turning to the next fan in line on the other side of the auditorium, purposely ignoring the first part of his question. She didn't want to lie and say she was single, but she knew if she said she was dating someone, she would be opening herself up to constant speculation. The fan's accusations about her personal life had temporarily stopped, and she didn't want to invite more at that moment.

At the end of the panel, Zelena and Regina exited the stage and walked behind Emma toward the door. As Regina passed behind Emma, she subtly slapped her ass, causing the blonde to look up in shock, only to see a smirking Regina waving to fans as she maneuvered toward the exit.

A few minutes later Emma had a short break before the next panel was scheduled. She snuck into one of the rooms that served as a breakroom for the volunteers and checked her phone, smiling when she had a new text from Regina. ' _How late are you working today?'_ the message read.

Emma quickly wrote back: ' _We have a short dinner break after the last panel and then all the volunteers have to help with karaoke tonight.'_

 _'Oh, that's too bad. I'm going to be so bored by myself after my autograph sessions are done. I was hoping you might be able to entertain me ;)'_ Regina responded.

 _'Ugh, you're killing me. I hate that you're so close and yet so far away haha.'_

 _'You want me to pull some strings so you can be my personal escort to and from all my events today?'_ Regina suggested in her next text.

 _'Yeah, I'm sure the show's manager who seems to be your shadow today would love that, not to mention the other volunteers would be jealous AF and call foulplay. Why don't you surprise people and drop in at karaoke tonight?_

 _'Lol, no. I prefer to keep my karaoke experiences to the basement of seedy bars, not on stage at a giant convention,'_ Regina wrote back. Emma barely had time to read it before another one came in: _'My autograph signing is done at 4, but it'll probably last until 5 since it always runs over. Why don't you tell Ruby and whoever is in charge of the volunteers that you have a migraine, and then you can leave with me? Pretty please?'_

Emma bit back a smile, contemplating Regina's suggestion just as she heard the call for the volunteers to return to the auditorium. _'I suppose I can make that happen…'_ she quickly wrote back before deleting the message chain and heading back to the panel room.

 ***.*.***

The blonde went about the rest of her day, helping to keep the lines in the auditorium organized as fans asked Graham, Regina, and Zelena questions during their afternoon individual panels. Regina was kept busy the rest of the day in meet and greets, photo ops, and autograph sessions, so they hadn't had a chance to text each other anymore. Around four in the afternoon as the last panel was concluding, Emma texted Ruby to tell her she had a migraine and would take a cab back to the apartment so she could get some rest. She then flagged down one of the volunteer coordinators, relaying the same message and apologizing profusely for skipping out on the karaoke event that night, but promising that she would be better in the morning. _'Okay, I'm free,'_ Emma quickly shot off to Regina after the coordinator dismissed her for the day with his well-wishes.

 _'My signing is still going on, but look for the black BMW X3 SUV in the parking lot with a guy named Marco…he's my driver. He texted us a half hour ago saying he's here, so you can wait in the car if you'd like. I should be done in 15 or 20,'_ Regina wrote back.

Emma sent a quick confirmation text and went to search for Regina's car. There were a handful of black BMW SUVs in the parking lot, as it seemed that was the official car of the convention, but eventually Emma found the one driven by Marco. He looked at Emma questioningly when she approached and said Regina told her to wait in the car, but after he quickly texted Regina's manager for the event, he was told to allow the blonde to enter the vehicle.

A half hour later they drove up to the fire lane of the hotel, where Regina was quickly escorted to the car by security, waving to fans as she walked by. She looked around confused after she was safely inside the car, as Marco began to drive away from the hotel. "Where's Emma?" she asked, not seeing her girlfriend.

"Hi," the blonde said, popping up from the cargo area behind the backseat.

"Jesus, you scared me," Regina commented while Marco chuckled. "What are you doing back there?"

Emma hauled herself over the top of the seat to join Regina. "I figured it wouldn't be good for either of us if anyone saw me in here…especially since I'm supposed to be having a debilitating migraine right now and should already be back at Ruby's apartment."

Regina chuckled and pulled Emma to her for a quick kiss. "I've missed you." The blonde's eyes widened in alarm as she gestured her head toward Marco. "He has to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so anything that is said or done in this car will remain private."

"Ah, okay. Well in that case, I've missed you, too. So much," Emma answered.

"So, where to, ladies?" Marco asked. "Your hotel, Miss Mills?"

Regina shook her head. "No, not yet," she answered before turning to look at Emma. "It's up to you…where do you want to go? Preferably somewhere far away from here would be nice," Regina said, her exhaustion evident in her voice.

"Are you sure you want to go out and do something? You sound really tired."

"I am, but I don't care what we do. I just missed you and want to hang out with you."

"Where's your hotel?" Emma asked.

"All the way downtown."

"Do you want to go back to Ruby's for a bit, then? It's not too long of a drive. She won't be back until at least 11 since she's working the rest of the night. We can grab some takeout and watch a movie."

"That sounds great."

Emma gave Marco Ruby's address, and he dropped them off with the instructions for Regina to call him when she was ready to be picked up and return to her hotel. They thanked him and headed inside.

"Why don't you pick a movie or something on Netflix?" Emma suggested as they started to get settled. She grabbed a bottle of wine and began pouring two glasses, just as the apartment buzzer rang. She quickly let the Grubhub delivery man in and gratefully took the bags of Middle Eastern takeout from him.

"That was fast," Regina commented as Emma set out the falafel and chicken shawarma pitas on the coffee table.

"I ordered it on the drive over here. This place is super close so it never takes long."

They turned on _Practical Magic_ , which made Emma laugh at Regina's selection, though she secretly loved the movie as well. They sat cuddled on Ruby's couch after they finished their dinner and wine, and Emma noticed that Regina had nodded off, resting her head on Emma's shoulder. It was barely 7:30, but it had been a long day for both women. Emma gently nudged Regina to wake her up. "Hey," she said, finding Regina's confused sleepy face adorable as the brunette remembered where she was. "You fell asleep. Why don't we go to the guest room and finish watching the movie in there? That way if you fall asleep, you're not on Ruby's couch. And, the bed is probably more comfortable for napping."

Regina yawned and nodded, forcing herself to sit up. "Sorry about that," she said as she quickly helped Emma with the empty food containers, throwing them in the trash as Emma put the plates and glasses into the sink. "I'll try to stay awake this time."

Emma just chuckled. "Follow me," she said as she took Regina's hand and led her down the hall to the guest room where she had been staying all week, crawling onto the bed and resuming the movie. Within twenty minutes, both Emma and Regina had fallen asleep.

 ***.*.***

They woke up around ten o'clock that night, and Emma suggested that Regina may as well crash there for the night. "Are you sure Ruby won't mind?" Regina asked as she stretched out on Emma's bed.

"She won't. She'll probably be ecstatic if she finds out one of the cast members from her favorite show is sleeping in her guest room, to be honest."

Regina laughed before leaning over to kiss Emma. "Would she object to one of the cast members having glorious sex in her guest room?"

Emma raised a brow. "Probably, unless she gets to be part of it."

"Sadly for her, she is not of interest to me," Regina chuckled.

"Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," Emma said, rolling on top of Regina and kissing her passionately, making up for lost time. It had only been two weeks since they had been together, but it felt like ages and she was looking forward to reconnecting.

A little while later, Regina was under the covers with her head buried between Emma's thighs for the second time that night. Emma had already exhausted her voice from their first and second rounds, so she was quietly whimpering as she took shallow breaths toward her climax. Unbeknownst to Emma, Ruby had just come home and decided to poke her head into her guest room to see how Emma was feeling. She opened the door quietly, as to not disturb Emma if she was asleep, knowing how brutal migraines could be.

The room was dark, with just a small bedside lamp lightly casting a glow near the head of the bed. Ruby could Emma's shoulders peeking out above the covers, with one hand in her hair and the other one resting across her mouth as her chest heaved up and down and her back arched. Ruby's eyes skimmed down the bed, and she could tell there was obviously someone under there. "Holy shit!" Ruby shouted, causing Emma to open her eyes and look at the open door while Regina temporarily froze under the safety of the bedding.

"Ruby! What are you doing back here so early?"

"I made good time on the way home because traffic—wait no, don't change the subject. What the hell? You bail on volunteering to come hookup with someone? And in my house? Jesus Em, who's under there? Is it one of those guys who were flirting with us this morning?"

Emma felt Regina nip her inner thigh a little harder than usual and dig her nails into her hip under the blankets, causing her to squeal. But, it also continued building her arousal that had not yet peaked, though she was close.

"The hotel at the con is right there. Why the hell would you bring him back here?" Ruby continued, taking a few angry steps closer to the blonde.

Emma let out a sigh as she tried to get her brain to focus, but Regina had gone back to work under the bedspread, thoroughly distracting her. Emma couldn't see Regina, but she could feel her girlfriend silently chuckle against her skin, and she knew she had that evil smirk on her face. Regina's tongue soothed the teeth marks she had left moments earlier before returning to the apex of Emma's thighs and curling the fingers that had not left Emma's body during the interruption. "Jesus," Emma moaned as her one of hands instinctively went to Regina's head, pawing her through the blankets to pull her closer.

Ruby rolled her eyes and huffed. "You know what? Fuck it, Emma. I hope you enjoy it, and you better hope that whoever that random fuckboy is doesn't steal my shit when you're done, or you're going to be the one replacing it," Ruby said, turning around and walking toward the door.

Emma groaned as Regina stopped her motions, the brunette sensing the tension in the room and not wanting to cause an argument between the two friends. Instead, she quickly shifted over and crawled to the head of the bed, speaking up as she poked her head out from under the blankets. "I don't know the kinds of people you usually bring home, Miss Lucas, but let me assure you that I have no intention of robbing you."

Ruby paused when she heard that tell-tale voice and turned around, her eyes wide. "Oh my God."

Emma and Regina both bit back their laughter as they observed Ruby's expression. The poor girl looked like she was about to have a coronary. "You have a little something…" Emma said to her girlfriend, wiping Regina's lips with her thumb. Regina promptly took the thumb in between her teeth, briefly licking it before releasing her.

"Holy shit. You were telling the truth?" she asked Emma.

"I tried to tell you last night. It's not my fault you didn't believe me," Emma commented.

"Shit, Emma."

"How articulate, dear," Regina chuckled, slowly running her fingers across Emma's thigh under the blankets, causing the blonde to squirm.

"What? When did this happen? Was everything you said yesterday true?" Ruby was gobsmacked.

"Pretty much," Emma managed to say, though her attention was on the tantalizing touch of the woman next to her.

"Ruby, can we have this conversation later?" Regina suggested as she maneuvered two fingers back inside her girlfriend, keeping her face perfectly composed, unlike her blonde companion whose eyes had fluttered closed. "Maybe in like five minutes?"

"Ten," Emma quickly corrected. She needed time to get her revenge on Regina after what the brunette had been doing to her for the past few minutes.

Ruby quickly blushed and averted her eyes. "Right, sorry. Take your time," she said as she backed out of the room and closed the door.

"Fuck, you're evil," Emma commented.

"Mmhmm. Now, where were we?" Regina asked with a chuckle as she bent down to run her tongue across Emma's neck, before trailing her lips down her body to return to her destination.

 ***.*.***

They emerged a half hour later, walking into the living room where Ruby was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and watching TV. "Ten minutes, huh?" Ruby asked Emma with a quirk of her brow as she noticed Regina was wearing one of Emma's old ballet company t-shirts and a pair of Emma's boyshorts.

Emma shrugged. "Can't rush perfection," she winked.

"So," Ruby said, patting the couch next to her. "Spill."

Regina sat down on the sofa and pulled Emma with her. Emma quickly explained, yet again, the story she had told to Ruby the night before. Regina added in a few details about how she had been separated from Robin since the spring but they hadn't wanted to publicly announce it until they were sure, and then both she and Robin had met other people and decided to officially end their marriage.

"Ruby, I trust that you will keep this quiet? We're not ready for this to be public yet," Emma said.

"Of course, Emma… but you realize people have been talking about you two for months now?"

"Yes, but they don't have any confirmation. And a month ago they thought I was doing Robin when I was temporarily staying with him, so the fan speculation is a little all over the place. They can think whatever they want."

Regina nodded in agreement. "Once we confirm it, I know they won't leave us alone, and I don't want to put that stress on Emma, at least not yet," Regina added.

"Okay, you both have my word. I won't say anything," Ruby replied.

"Thank you, Ruby," Emma said.

"And I'm so happy for you, Emma. And maybe a little jealous," Ruby winked at Regina, causing the older brunette to laugh.

"Ruby, do you mind if I borrow your friend for the day tomorrow?" Regina asked. "I haven't seen her since she turned the big 3-0, and I want to take her out."

"Of course not— you can have her," Ruby smiled.

Regina looked at Emma. "Think you can call out sick tomorrow and forfeit your last day of volunteer work?"

"Absolutely. What did you have in mind?"

Regina pulled Emma closer on the couch, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and resting her chin on her shoulder. "Well, brunch. And then maybe a bit of exploring? I've really only been in the downtown area of Chicago, so I'd love to check out one of the neighborhoods that isn't overrun with tourists. And then maybe dancing or finding a music venue and seeing a show?"

"I'd love that," Emma smiled.

"Alright, you two, I'm going to head to bed since I still have to be up early to get back to the last day of the con…Oh, and I'll be playing music on my phone with my headphones on all night, so have fun," Ruby winked as she left the couple on the sofa, heading into her room down the hall. "There are extra bed sheets in the hall closet. I expect you'll change them in the morning, Emma."

"Shall we return to the bed?" Regina asked, nibbling on Emma's ear.

"Yes, please."

* * *

 **A/N:** Fun fact: Arlington Heights is where JMo grew up, so it seemed like a good place to put Ruby's apartment (and it really is like 20 min from where the Chicago Creation Events cons for OUAT/Vampire Diaries are held). I debated whether to include their Sunday adventures, but I think it would have dragged on too much and there wasn't much plot or character development that required another day, so I just left it here. But if you want to know what they were up to, imagine that they did grab tasty brunch, went shopping in a cute Chicago neighborhood (and without any fans recognizing Regina), and then to something like the Metro or Aragon Ballroom for a random concert.


	3. The First (American) Thanksgiving

**A/N:** Happy (American) Thanksgiving! Enjoy this bit of fluff, but one that marks an important moment in their lives. Hopefully this gives you something to read during your travels and/or on a break from too much family time :P

* * *

 ** _Thursday, November 23, 7:30am_**

Emma shifted slightly in her sleep, causing something to tickle her nose. She sniffled, hoping to clear the disturbance, but that just made it worse. She blinked her eyes open to find that her face was buried in her girlfriend's hair and that a stray curl had poked her in the nostril. She laughed to herself as she nudged the hair out of the way and snuggled closer, placing a kiss on the back of Regina's shoulder as she did, happy to have her girlfriend back in her arms after three weeks apart. It was a tie for the longest period of time they had been apart since her vacation in Montréal over the summer, and she hoped they would never go that long between visits again. They were pulling off the long-distance relationship surprisingly well, but she still missed Regina terribly when she was off filming in Halifax. Thus far, Regina had been the one to visit Emma, but the blonde hoped she would be able to visit Regina in Halifax sooner rather than later.

It was the fourth Thursday in November, which marked Thanksgiving in the United States and one of Emma's favorite holidays. She had barely moved to Canada in time for Canadian Thanksgiving in early October, which she had spent with her new dance company friends at Lily's apartment. As she lay in bed that morning, she was excited for what she still thought of as the "real" Thanksgiving, especially because she would be spending it with a certain brunette.

Regina had gotten in late Wednesday night and would be staying with Emma through Sunday morning. "The perks of working on a show filmed in Canada but run by Americans is that they still give us Thanksgiving off," Regina had explained to Emma over Facetime two weeks earlier when they made plans for the upcoming feast. It was Regina's favorite holiday as well, and she was ecstatic that she would get to share it with Emma. She had wrapped filming Wednesday morning, and even though it was just another day in Canada, the Montréal airport had been feeling the effects of the busiest travel day in the U.S. Many of the flights originated in American cities, and it caused a domino effect. Regina's flight was supposed to get in Wednesday afternoon, but it had been delayed, and she didn't get back to Emma's apartment until after 10p.m. After a quick kiss hello she had been exhausted, so they decided to watch a few _Friends_ Thanksgiving episodes in bed before falling asleep.

During her marriage to Robin, Regina and the kids had celebrated both American and Canadian Thanksgiving, given that Regina had lived in the States until she moved to Canada, first to Montréal for a TV film and then to Halifax for _Frozen Mirror_. Henry and Roland had come to love American Thanksgiving after Regina became part of their lives, so Robin was more than happy to let Regina take the boys for the day so they could spend it with their mom. She had talked to Robin and he agreed to sign them out of school early that Thursday afternoon so they could be there for an early dinner.

"Good morning," Regina murmured as she felt Emma's arm wrap tightly around her waist. She pushed against it just enough to give herself room to turn around in her arms and face her girlfriend, not even opening her eyes as she leaned in for a kiss. "I love waking up to you."

"Likewise," Emma smiled, noting that this was the first time Regina had used the word 'love' in a statement. They both were hesitant about vocalizing the extent of their feelings just yet, but it was a step in the right direction. "Are you excited for today?"

"Mmhmm," Regina nodded, slowly blinking her eyes open and letting them adjust to the light in the room that was creeping in through the curtains. "I'm a little nervous, though. I've never cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner. Being married to a restaurateur had its perks."

"I haven't either," Emma said, slowly peeling herself away from Regina so she could sit up and get ready. She had rehearsal a little over an hour later, as her dance company didn't care that it was an American holiday. Fortunately, it was just a two hour ballet class, so she would be back home well before noon to help Regina with the preparations. "I usually tagged along with Killian to his brother's house in upstate New York, so we never had to do anything other than pick up some pumpkin pies from the bakery on our way out of the city. I'm sure it'll be fine, though. I made the cranberry sauce last night so it would have plenty of time to cool and gel, and the turkey is defrosted and ready to be dressed or brined or whatever it is you do to a turkey."

"Yeah, it's a good thing I'm making the turkey and not you," Regina laughed as she stood up and started straightening the comforter on the bed. "So, I've been thinking…"

"Uh oh," Emma laughed, earning a pillow thrown at her head. She caught it just before it hit her.

"Anyway," Regina continued, swallowing a chuckle, "I think I might tell the boys about the full extent of our relationship today…how would you feel about being introduced to them as my girlfriend?"

"I kind of love that idea," she replied, realizing that it would be a really big step for Regina.

"Okay, good," Regina smiled.

 ***.*.***

"I'm back," Emma called as she entered the apartment after returning from ballet. She dropped her keys in the bowl by the entry and tossed her bag in the hall closet as she walked into the kitchen, nearly tripping over the grey feline that was laying down in front of the fridge and keeping an eye on the meal preparations. "Oh, it smells wonderful in here."

"Thank you, dear," Regina said as she stood by the stove, peeling some potatoes and throwing them in a large stock pot. "The turkey has been roasting for a while but still has a few hours left, and we'll need to start on the stuffing soon…What?" she asked when she saw Emma smirking at her.

The blonde shook her head. "Nothing…you just look super cute in my apron," she said, eyeing her girlfriend who was wearing the red apron she had 'forgotten to return' from her very short stint working at a cupcake bakery in Portland. "If only that was all you were wearing…"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Maybe someday, when I'm not standing over a pot of boiling water that can spatter everywhere."

"Fair enough," Emma chuckled as she ate a handful of almonds from the container on the island. "Anything you need me to help you with before I hop in the shower?"

"Yes, one quick thing. Come here please," she said, stirring the pot of water and carefully adding more potatoes to it.

Emma walked around the island to the stove, peeking in the pot and standing next to her girlfriend. "What can I do for you?"

The brunette set down the spoon next to the stove and turned to face Emma, hooking her finger in the waistband of her tights and pulling her toward her to bring her in for a kiss. "Okay," she said when they separated. "That's all I needed. Go shower and then I'll put you to work."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Emma mockingly curtsied, only to get slapped on her ass when she turned to leave the kitchen.

Emma emerged from the bathroom a half hour later, dressed in dark skinny jeans and an oversized heather grey sweater. She had quickly dried her hair, allowing her natural waves to fall down a few inches past her shoulders. "I love your hair that length," Regina said when the blonde rejoined her in the kitchen. Emma had chopped four inches off her hair a few weeks prior after realizing that having that much hair was a hassle, as she had to wear it in a bun so often for class and it became too laborious to pin it all up. "It still seems long enough to grab onto," she winked as the blonde approached her.

"Kinky," Emma laughed as she poured a glass of merlot and handed it to her girlfriend, before pouring one for herself. Regina raised an eyebrow as she accepted it, sneaking a look at the watch on her wrist before looking back at the blonde. "What? It's a holiday," Emma replied as she took a sip.

"Yeah, okay," Regina shrugged as she downed half the glass in one gulp. "Would you mind helping me with the stuffing?"

"Not at all…what do you need me to do?" she asked.

Regina directed her to the three loaves of bread on the counter and the seasoning already set up. "If you can start cubing the bread, I'll melt the butter and then we just have to mix it all together."

"Sounds easy enough."

"It is…that's why I'm giving it to you to do."

 ***.*.***

Around two o'clock in the afternoon, the two women had finished most of the preparation and were relaxing on the sofa, with Adagio curled up in the chair nearby. Regina's phone buzzed on the coffee table, and she quickly read the message. "Robin just parked and he's walking the boys up," she said. Robin had offered to pick the kids up from school and drop them off at the apartment so Regina could focus on cooking. Moments later, there was a knock at the door, startling the cat who ran to Emma's bedroom to hide.

"Mom!" Roland yelled when she opened the door, immediately engulfing her in a bear hug.

"Hi, baby!" she replied, kissing the top of his head. While still entrapped in Roland's arms, she reached her hand out to ruffle Henry's shaggy hair.

"Mooooom," he whined, playfully slapping her hand away.

"It's long, Henry. I thought the Justin Bieber style was over a few years ago? Are you trying to bring it back?" she joked.

"I think he's going for the Nick Carter Backstreet Boys circa 1999 look," Robin chimed in from the doorway.

"That was a good year. I had their poster on my ceiling," Emma added as she joined the family at the door.

"I bet you did," Regina laughed. "I had N'Sync's photo in my locker."

Robin raised a brow. "Please tell me I'm not about to hear an argument over which boyband is better."

"They both have their merits," Regina conceded before turning her attention back to the boys that were still hovering in the foyer. "Guys, you remember Emma, right?"

"Yep! Hi, Emma!" Roland cheered, while Henry settled for a cool nod and a "hey."

"Hi, Roland; hi, Henry" she replied back. She caught Regina's eye and smiled. "Hey guys, why don't we head into the living room? Your mom said you haven't been allowed to have pets, but you've always wanted one…" Roland furiously nodded in confirmation. "Well, I have a cat who is probably hiding right now, but I might be able to get her to come out and play."

"Oh, yay!" Roland yelled as he ran and jumped onto the sofa, and Henry quickly followed.

"Alright. I'm going to go wrangle the beast," Emma said, smiling at the soon-to-be divorced couple who were still in the doorway, sensing that they may want a few minutes to talk. Emma knew that they had only physically seen each other twice since they announced their upcoming divorce, mostly because they had to maintain the appearance of a couple with irreconcilable differences to the public, rather than the best friends they actually were.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? We made way too much food," Regina said when they were alone in the foyer.

"Thank you, but you should have the kids to yourselves today. Besides, I have to head into work anyway. We're prepping for a new chef search so I have some things to take care of."

"Right. Good luck," she said, briefly hugging him. Robin turned to leave and Regina caught his arm. "Actually, I'll walk you out. One sec." She turned back to check on Emma to make sure she had a handle on everything and would be okay for a few minutes by herself. She laughed when she saw the blonde carrying an unhappy Adagio in her arms, setting the cat down on the couch between the two boys and trying to keep the squirming cat from jumping down. Emma smiled and gave her a nod, so Regina mouthed, "I'll be right back" before she exited the apartment. She walked with Robin down the stairs until they were in the quiet vestibule of the building. "I wanted to let you know that I'm planning to tell the boys about Emma and me today."

"That's great, Regina. I think you should," he responded.

"You're okay with that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I am. You didn't have any issue with me telling them that Gwen is my girlfriend earlier this month...why should I have a problem with you doing the same?"

Regina shrugged, still nervous about telling her kids. "And they took that news okay?"

"Yes, and you know that because I already told you as much. I mean, yeah, they thought it was a little odd that daddy has a girlfriend, and so they'll probably think it's strange that mommy has a girlfriend, but they like Gwen, and you know they like Emma. They'll be fine. And if for some reason they aren't, let me know and I'll talk to them." He took her hands in his, sensing her anxiety. "But, it will be fine, Regina. I'll be back around 7:30 tonight to come pick them up." He hugged her goodbye before walking out the front door, leaving Regina to take a calming breath before walking back up the stairs.

As she reentered the apartment, she noticed the boys were on the couch with a much calmer cat sleeping in between them, and Emma was nowhere to be seen. "Emma?" she called as she locked the door behind her.

"Kitchen," she heard in response.

Regina nodded to herself and made her way toward the back of the apartment, noting that the boys were watching a recording of that morning's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. She smiled, as that was something the boys had come to love over the years celebrating the holiday, endlessly entertained by the performances and random array of floats. It aired earlier in the day, but Emma DVR'ed it when Regina mentioned that the kids love watching it.

"Everything okay?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "Yeah. I just gave him a heads-up that I'm telling the boys about us today."

Emma smiled and stole a quick kiss, before turning back to the stove to finish mashing the potatoes.

"By the way, what's up with Adagio? She looked petrified when I left to go downstairs and now she looks more stoned than we were that night in the hotel in Portland."

Emma laughed. "That's because she is." At Regina's questioning look she clarified: "Valerian root. You missed the euphoric phase, but the boys loved it. She ran around like crazy while they played for a few minutes, and now she'll sleep for the next few hours," she said as she inspected her potatoes. "Okay, these are done, and this is the last thing we had left to do, I think."

"Perfect, let's eat."

 ***.*.***

It was safe to say Regina and Emma's first attempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner themselves was a success. The kids excitedly shoveled the food into their mouths, and Regina and Emma were quite impressed with the results of their own efforts in the kitchen. "I feel like I could sleep for a week," Emma commented as she pushed back her chair from the table, giving her more room to stretch her back.

"Got room for dessert?" Regina asked, causing the two youngest diners to perk up upon hearing their favorite word.

"Always," Emma replied.

"Dessert? Did you make apple pie?" Henry asked eagerly.

"Of course I did," Regina said as though it was obvious. "You can't have Thanksgiving dinner and not have apple pie. It's like, a rule." She stood up from the table, grabbing some of the empty dishes to take them into the kitchen.

"Let me help you with that," Emma said as she cleared a few others and followed Regina. "Would anyone like some authentic hot cocoa to go with their dessert?" she called out over the island to look at the kids at the dining table.

"Yes, please!" Henry said.

"What's authentic hot cocoa?" Roland asked, confused by the adjective.

Emma returned to the dining table with her hands behind her back. "It means hot cocoa made from scratch…none of that artificial fake chocolate powder in packets, but made from real, melted chocolate." She then brought her hands forward, displaying several large Ghirardelli chocolate bars that she had hidden behind her.

Roland's eyes went wide as he looked at the candy in front of him. "Whoa…."

"Exactly," Emma smiled. "Who wants marshmallows with their hot chocolate?" Both boys' hands immediately shot up into the air. "Coming right up."

"Can you put some cinnamon in mine, please?" Henry asked as she started to walk back toward the kitchen area.

"Sure, kid."

She quickly got to work melting the milk and chocolate on the stove, while Regina took the pies out of the oven, where they had been warming during dinner. "Would anyone like ice cream with their pie?" Emma asked as she poured the first serving of hot cocoa into a mug. A chorus of "yes" came in reply.

"I got it," Regina said as she laughed, walking over to the freezer to take out the carton vanilla ice cream. She quickly sliced the pies and put them on plates, making sure Roland and Henry's slices were the same size to prevent any tantrums. "Alright boys, come get a piece of pie and your cocoa," she said, moving the plates to the edge of the island and putting the ice cream back in the freezer. They dutifully came up to the counter and took their plate and their mug in their small hands, carefully taking them back to the table. Emma and Regina quickly joined them with their own desserts.

As the boys start to eat Regina cleared her throat. "Henry, Roland, there's something I'd like to tell you," she said, reaching for Emma's hand under the table and bringing it to her lap. Emma squeezed it gently and then brought her hand to rest on Regina's thigh, lending her support. "You know how your dad is dating Gwen?"

They both looked up from their pie and nodded their heads.

"Well, I'm dating someone as well," Regina continued.

Roland looked up. "Is it that guy from your show?"

Regina's expression turned to one of confusion. "Who?"

"Graham."

Regina quietly chuckled. Early in the eighth season, her character finally ended the love triangle between Daniel and Graham and chose the on-screen detective over the farmhand. "Oh, God no. Honey, Graham is happily married to his wife Anastasia. And you know we're just acting."

Roland shrugged and went back to eating his dessert, still too young to truly grasp the concept of acting versus real life.

"So, who is he, then?" Henry asked. At Regina's puzzled expression, Henry continued: "Your boyfriend."

Regina took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I don't have a boyfriend," she clarified. "You know how your Uncle Will is married to your Uncle Felix?"

Both kids nodded and Roland excitedly shouted, "Yeah, they're gay!", as he recently learned what that word meant when Will married his partner Felix earlier that spring during one of their camping trips. Roland had been the ring bearer.

Regina laughed. "Right, Roland. Well, some women like to date other women," she explained, causing Roland to furrow his brow as he tried to make sense of it. She had to admit he looked particularly adorable when he was confused. Henry, meanwhile, was tracking his eyes between his mother and Emma, as if making the connection. Regina continued: "So, I don't have a boyfriend, but I do have a girlfriend," she finally declared. "Emma and I are together," she said.

"Oh," Roland said. "Okay!"

Regina and Emma both chuckled at his excitement and yet total lack of interest in the situation. Henry meanwhile stared down at his pie. "So, all those rumors were true?" he asked, absentmindedly stabbing at the pie with the tongs of his fork. "Did you cheat on Dad?" Regina and Robin had tried to keep him from seeing the rumors about Regina on social media over the years, but at 13 years of age he wasn't blind, and they weren't going to keep him off of social media entirely. They wanted him to have a normal childhood, and when all his friends joined social networks, they had to let him as well. Even though he only had his accounts for a year, he had undoubtedly seen comments and photos pop up from years earlier that called into question Regina's sexuality, especially since some fans tagged all of Regina's family in those posts.

"Those rumors were just rumors, Henry. Emma and I didn't start seeing each other until Robin and I decided to separate, just like he didn't start seeing Gwen until then, either."

"So, you're actually a lesbian? What about dad? Were you lying to him all this time?"

Regina looked briefly at Emma, who smiled sadly back at her. She wanted to help but didn't know what to say, so she let Regina handle it. But, she squeezed the thigh under her hand again, sending her silent support. Regina knew she couldn't disclose everything Henry given his age and the other issues involved, so she settled for a version of the truth he could understand. "I loved your Dad, Henry, and a part of me always will. Like we told you a few months ago when we told you about our divorce, we just both realized that we were better off as friends instead of as a couple. By that point your dad had started seeing Gwen and Emma and I started dating, so we wanted the freedom to pursue those relationships…and no, I never lied to him. Emma isn't the first woman I've dated, and your dad knew that when we got married. I don't like to label myself, Henry, but just like some women are only attracted to men and some women are only attracted to women, some women are attracted to both men and women…"

Henry rolled his eyes and interrupted. "I know what a bisexual is, Mom."

"Oh. Okay, then…"

"Why didn't you ever tell us this before?" Henry asked, looking up at Regina.

"Oh, well, I don't know. I was married to your dad so I didn't think it mattered, since he and I were together. You were young when he and I started our relationship, so I figured it would be hard to explain. And as you said there were rumors about me, so I didn't want to add fuel to the fire," Regina said, taking a breath. "On that note, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell people about Emma and me being together, at least not yet. We'd like to keep that information between us for now," she said, pausing to grab Emma's hand again under the table. "Henry, are you okay with this? Do you have any questions?" she asked, noting that Roland was still devouring his pie and not paying attention to the conversation around him. Clearly he was unaffected by her announcement.

He shrugged. "I mean, it's weird. But it's weird that dad has a girlfriend, too."

Regina laughed. "Yeah, I imagine it's weird to think about your parents dating anyone."

"Yeah it is. But I mean, if you're happy then that's good, I guess. I just don't want you and dad fighting. Peter's parents got divorced last year and when his dad brought home a new girlfriend, his mother freaked out, and now they argue all the time and can't be in the same room as each other. His birthday is next week and his dad can't come to his Bar Mitzvah now."

"Oh, Henry, I promise that will never happen with us," Regina said, leaning forward to cup his cheek with her palm. "Your dad and I still get along just fine, and we are putting you boys first in everything we do. I've met Gwen and Robin has met Emma, and we all like each other. We can all be in the same room or at the same party and it will be fine. Don't worry about that."

Henry nodded and picked up his fork to continue eating. "Okay, then."

"Okay?"

"Yep." Regina let out a breath and looked over at Emma, who smiled back and sent her a subtle wink. Regina finally picked up her fork and took her first bite of the untouched pie and nearly melted puddle of ice cream on the plate.

 ***.*.***

"Alright, kids, get your bags and get your shoes on. Your dad is on his way up," Regina said later that evening. After finishing dessert, they had started watching _Elf_ on the large TV in the living room. Roland had fallen asleep, and Emma was fighting a tryptophan coma herself, waking herself up each time her head fell onto Regina's shoulder.

There was a knock on the door as Regina helped a very tired Roland into his boots and coat. "I'll get it," Emma said as she walked over, letting Robin into the apartment. "Hi, Robin."

"Hi, Emma," he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "How was dinner?"

"It was good. Regina did most of the cooking, and I think you would have been impressed with her work," she replied.

"I'm sure I would. She always has been really good in the kitchen. She doesn't give herself enough credit."

"My ears are burning," Regina said as she walked over to join them, a bundled up Roland staggering behind her. "Thank you again for letting me have them today, Robin."

"Of course, Regina. I know how much this holiday means to them and to you," he smiled. "Are you still okay to take them this weekend? If you'd rather have time alone with Emma, I can take them with me when I got to visit Gwen up north."

"We're more than happy to have them stay with us here."

"So I take it, then, that your announcement was okay? How'd it go?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"It was fine…Roland is oblivious and doesn't think anything of it, but I think Henry needs some time to get used to it. He had some questions, but I think he'll be okay. I know it's a big change for him to adjust to. Hell, it was a big adjustment for me. I'm still working through it," she laughed.

"You are, but you're doing great, Regina. I'm so happy to finally see you this happy."

"Me too," she said, smiling over at Emma who had wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Alright, well I will get these rugrats out of your hair, and I can swing by early Saturday morning to drop them off on my way out of town, if that works for you?"

"That's perfect," Regina confirmed. "Bye, boys. We'll see you in two days," she called to the boys who had already started walking down the landing.

"Bye!" they both called back.

She shut the door behind them and turned to face Emma with a teasing glint in her eye. "So, just how tired are you?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I can rally."

* * *

 **A/N:** Shout out to the guest reviewer who reviewed _A Montreal Excursion_ when I asked if I should continue the fic/asked for ideas and suggested having Regina introduce Emma as her girlfriend to the boys. I hope that anonymous person is still reading and enjoyed this chapter!

Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoyed some domestic Emma/Regina fluff :)

 **Quick question:** Several of you have mentioned that you want a SQ fight, and I agree I want one too because they're a couple and couples fight. But, I'm not sure what I want to have them argue about. I have a few ideas (one of them gets jealous, or Emma gets upset that Regina keeps paying for things since she obviously has more money and it makes Emma feel inferior/insecure, or they may fight over something that happens with Cora and the way she treats Regina and/or Emma, or maybe the stress of long distance finally gets to them...), but I don't know what I want to go with/I'm open to other ideas. So, if you have any suggestions for what could be the cause of their first real fight, feel free to leave them in the comments! And if you come up with something I haven't thought of and I end up choosing it, I'll definitely give you a shoutout/credit when that chapter gets posted (because I'm in academia and plagiarism of ideas is so not okay — gotta cite your sources! lol).

 **Next up:** Emma is Regina's guest to an event (if you've read the previous two fics in this series closely, you might be able to guess what the event is), and a pretty monumental moment in their relationship occurs. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading :)

 **A/N** :To guest reviewer Kat Ruggles (since I can't DM you directly): Thanks for reading and reviewing! To answer your two questions: As I was writing the chapter I quickly googled "Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in Canada" because I wasn't sure if it aired there. The first links were for livestreaming it online via Facebook/etc. CTV didn't come up, so I incorrectly assumed it didn't air in Canada. After reading your comment, though, I went back and revised it to Emma DVR'ing it for the kids to watch later, since they weren't home during the live airing anyway :), so thank you for pointing that out! As for calling it "real" Thanksgiving, I totally agree that Canada's is based on a much nicer reason and happened before the US holiday was created. But, Emma has only been in Canada for a month at this point, so she doesn't consider herself a Canadian yet...she probably didn't realize Canada had a Thanksgiving of its own until she got there, or at least later in her life (I didn't know until two people from Canada moved to my school in high school — literally our history classes never talked about Canada). If it weren't for those two I probably wouldn't have known until I started following some Canadian actors on Instagram like 2 years ago. So in Emma's mind, she still thinks of the US Thanksgiving date as the "real" one, because that's been her life for 30 years. I put "real" in quotes because it's just her thought process as someone who is still on a US calendar...it's definitely not a declarative statement that one is better than the other or that any country's Thanksgiving is more or less valid than another's, and I really hope it didn't come across that way. (I based the verbiage on how my Canadian friends used to tease us and we would tease them. In high school they would always say "I'm going back to Ottawa for 'real' Thanksgiving" in October, so then in November after we'd get back from Thanksgiving break we'd ask them how they liked our "real" Thanksgiving. It was all in jest, but maybe it doesn't translate into the written fic world). But, to be on the safe side, I might go back and reword it to something along the lines of Emma still thinking of Thanksgiving as a holiday celebrated in November (though that doesn't flow as well..idk, I'll play with it).


	4. The Wedding Date

**A/N:** Thank you all for your feedback on the topic of their first fight! The votes were pretty much split across all options, so we'll see what I decide/where the story naturally leads us. It's still a little early in their relationship anyway for an epic argument anyway, but something will happen eventually. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter with a special event and a special moment. I hope you like it, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Admittedly, this was one of my favorite chapters in the fic series thus far to write, and I basically found myself having a stupid grin on my face as I worked on it over my lunch hour and in my free time. So much adorable fluff heading your way.

Also, chapters two and three are now in the correct chronological order, so in the event you need or want to reread those (or if you haven't read the chapter I posted a week ago yet that takes place during their trip to Chicago), they've been switched to their proper placement. Thanksgiving is now chapter 3, and the Chicago con is now chapter 2.

* * *

 ** _Saturday, December 16, 3:30pm_**

 _'_ _'I just got here,'_ Emma typed to Regina as she thanked the driver and got out of the Uber. The church that greeted her was an impressive building, centuries old and majestic. She had heard about the beauty of the Notre-Dame Basilica (after all, Celine Dion got married there), but the photographs she had seen did not do it justice. She followed the swarm of people inside, and the interior of the church did not disappoint. She audibly gasped at the beauty that laid before her. She was hardly the religious type, but she could still appreciate the gorgeous architecture. It was a work of art. _  
_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt her clutch vibrate against the side of her body. She quickly took out her phone and smiled at the picture Regina sent, showing her freshly manicured nails holding a flute of champagne: _'Oh good! I'll see you after the ceremony. Xo. BTW, wait until you see the groom. Let me know if you think he reminds you of anyone.'_

Emma was ushered by a man in a tuxedo into the chapel and dutifully sat down on the left-hand side of the room reserved for guests of the bride, staying close to the center aisle so she could have a good view as the ceremony began.

"How do you know Kathryn?" a voice inquired from behind her.

"Oh, I've actually only met Kathryn once. A friend of mine is a bridesmaid and I'm here as her 'plus one,' " Emma explained to the woman. "What about you?"

"I work with Kathryn," the woman said. "I'm Alice."

"Hi, Alice. I'm Emma," she said as she shook the other blonde's hand.

"So, which bridesmaid is your friend?" she asked with far too much interest for her to just be making conversation.

Emma tried not to roll her eyes. Regina had warned her that some of Kathryn's co-workers were a little nosy. When they had gone to the vineyard for her bridal shower/bachelorette party getaway in early June, right before she had met Emma, Regina said that some of the women had tried to be her new best friend. But, that just came with the territory. "Regina," Emma answered.

"Oh, wow!" Alice replied. "I met her during our trip to the wine country. She's so sweet. Not to mention talented and really gorgeous."

"Yep," Emma nodded.

"So how long have you known Regina?"

Emma silently sighed. "About six months or so."

"Really? That's it?"

"Yep," Emma said again. Mercifully, before Alice had the chance to pry any further, music started to play, indicating the start of the ceremony.

As "Canon in D" echoed throughout the chapel from the string quartet, Emma looked toward the back of the church, her breath hitching as Regina came into view. She was wearing a strapless aubergine gown, with a sweetheart neckline that Emma had to admit made her cleavage look even better than some of the costumes she wore on _Frozen Mirror._ Her hair was braided on either side, joining together to form an elegant chignon in the back. She was escorted by one of the groomsmen to the front of the room, joining the woman Emma recognized from Regina's photos as Mal, who had preceded Regina down the aisle as another bridesmaid. Shortly thereafter Ella joined them as Matron of Honor, and then everyone rose to their feet as Kathryn and her father, Charles Midas, made their entrance.

Throughout the entire ceremony and mass, Emma couldn't help but keep her eyes on Regina — the woman was stunning. Emma was sitting in a pew far enough back from the alter that she could openly stare at the brunette without anyone noticing. Of course, Kathryn looked beautiful as well, and her husband-to-be looked quite dashing (and had an uncanny resemblance to Regina's television co-star David Nolan), but Emma only had eyes for Regina. As the recessional music played and the wedding party walked back down the aisle, Regina caught Emma's eye as she neared the blonde's pew and subtly winked at her as she passed by. Emma hoped she didn't blush, but she knew she probably did.

Emma followed the rest of the guests out of the church as they waited for the newlyweds and the wedding party to emerge for one more appearance before the reception. Shortly after they did so, Kathryn and her new husband James quickly greeted some of their guests, giving Regina the opportunity to sneak away and find Emma. "Hey, you," she whispered in her ear as she snuck up behind her.

The blonde jumped and immediately turned around and smiled as the brunette pulled her in for a quick hug. "You look beautiful, Regina," Emma said as they separated.

"I could say the same about you," she smirked as she bit her lip, appraising her girlfriend. Emma had curled her hair, allowing the blonde waves to fall just past her shoulders, and she wore a black wide-leg jumpsuit with a deep v-neck in the front and a mostly open back, aside from a few delicate crisscrossing straps. The jumpsuit highlighted her well-defined arms and back from years of dancing.

"Thank you, but I'm freaking freezing," Emma laughed as she finally pulled on her favorite burgundy leather jacket to protect against the cold Quebec air.

"Think about how I feel," Regina laughed. "Thank God for padded bras, or everyone would be able to see my nipples right now," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and jumped up and down to try to generate some heat.

Emma chuckled leaned closer to her. "Want me to warm you up?"

"Ugh, yes, but we can't…" Regina groaned.

"I know," Emma replied in understanding, though she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her girlfriend and pull her close.

"Besides, we have to go take more photos in a minute anyway," Regina continued.

"You didn't do that beforehand?"

"No. Kathryn and James wanted to be traditional and not see each other before the wedding. We did some of the bridal party only photos, but we have to do the rest of them now. I think the cocktail hour at the reception starts right away, so feel free to head over there. You don't have to wait for me since I don't know how long I'll be."

"Okay," Emma replied. "I'll see you over there, then."

"Indeed…and I fully expect at least one dance, Miss Swan," Regina said with a playful glare while pointing her finger at the woman, as she started to walk back inside the church.

"You got it."

 ***.*.***

Emma managed to keep herself busy at the reception hall prior to Regina's arrival. She made friends with one of the bartenders, who had just retired from a career with the National Ballet of Canada. She preferred to chat with him rather than the random other wedding guests, as she had never thrived in small talk situations and wanted to avoid being part of any of the conversations talking about Regina. She now understood why Regina had said that she had hesitated before agreeing to be in Kathryn's wedding — she loved her friend dearly, but she didn't want to steal focus away from the bride. Regina had agreed after Kathryn insisted that she didn't care and just wanted her friend to stand up with her. They had thought that since it was in Montréal, Kathryn's hometown and Regina's adopted home, maybe people wouldn't think it was that big of a deal since they were all locals. But, sure enough, most of the conversations Emma overheard during the first forty-five minutes of the cocktail hour included Regina's name.

A little while later members of the wedding party started arriving and making their way into the reception hall, so Emma excused herself from her conversation with the bartender. She took her cosmopolitan and walked around the room, keeping her eye out for Regina. She got distracted by the beautiful view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, which overlooked the Saint Lawrence River. The lights of the historic city reflected in the water, and it was quite breathtaking.

"Quite the view, isn't it?" a husky voice said behind her, causing her to jump and nearly spill her drink.

"Jesus, Regina, you need to stop doing that," Emma scolded, though it was hard to take her seriously since she was chuckling.

"It's not my fault you're jumpy and easily distracted," Regina replied, taking Emma's drink from her hand and taking a sip. "Oh, that's good."

"Do you want me to get you one?"

"If you don't mind, that would be great. I need to go set my things down," Regina said.

Emma quickly ran back to the bar to get a second cosmo for her girlfriend, while Regina set down her jacket and bag at the table. "Here you are, my dear," Emma said as she met up with Regina again.

"Thank you," she said, taking the drink. "What did you think of the wedding?"

"It was beautiful. That church is stunning…but not as stunning as you," Emma flirted.

"You're so cheesy," Regina rolled her eyes, but Emma could still detect a slight blush caused by her words and smiled in victory. "It is stunning, though. Kathryn has been talking about getting married there for as long as I've known her. I'm happy she was able to make it a reality, and I'm just glad I didn't burst into flames when I was in there. Between faking holy matrimony for the past five years and playing the daughter of Satan on TV, I half expected to be engulfed in an inferno as soon as I stepped inside."

Emma laughed. "Well, I'm very glad about that, too, although that would have made quite the display."

"Indeed it would have. Oh, what do you think of James?"

"Well, he's a dead ringer for David Nolan."

"Right? They could be twins. Kathryn says she doesn't see it, but he's totally his doppelganger. I showed David one of their engagement photos and even he was freaked out,"

Just then, one of the servers came over to announce that the official entrances of the wedding party and newlyweds would be starting momentarily and asked Regina to get ready for her entrance.

"So, they only have the wedding party at the head table, so you'll be with the girlfriends of the groomsmen and Ella's husband at the next table over. Hopefully dinner will be quick and then I can come join you," Regina explained.

"I'll look forward to it," Emma winked.

"You better," Regina laughed as she took a step closer to Emma, nudging her with her shoulder as they looked out over the river. "This is driving me crazy."

Emma looked over at Regina in question. "What is?"

"Standing next to you and not being able to touch you, or hold your hand, or kiss you," Regina replied sadly.

Emma nodded, completely understanding. "I know."

"But one way or another, I will be dancing with you before we leave. I was serious about that. We just can't get carried away…that can happen later in the privacy of your apartment."

"I am more than happy to oblige on both of those things."

 ***.*.***

After dinner was served, Kathryn and James made the rounds, stopping by each table to greet their guests. Kathryn pulled Emma into a hug as Emma congratulated her. Regina and other members of the wedding party soon sauntered over to join them, having just finished their meals. "I'm so glad you were able to make it, Emma," Kathryn said as Regina approached, sending a wink toward the brunette. "I must say you're a much prettier date than Regina's previous plus one."

"Yeah, Robin would not be able to pull off that jumpsuit," Regina laughed as she draped an arm across Emma's shoulder. It allowed her to feel closer to her girlfriend, but still looked friendly enough to any discerning eyes. "He sends his best, by the way," Regina added. Robin had become good friends with Kathryn over the years and had planned to be her date for the wedding back when they sent in their RSVP card earlier in the year. But, with the one-year separation rule before their divorce could be finalized, they realized they shouldn't be seen together at this type of event, given the number of photos that would inevitably be posted on social media of the wedding. If they acted like the good friends they actually were, then it might seem like they were back together and cause problems in the divorce progress. They would have had to pretend to be ambivalent to each other at best, and that wouldn't have been enjoyable for anyone. Plus, Regina had really wanted to bring Emma, and Robin was more than happy to skip the wedding so Emma could go.

"Emma, it's great to see you again, darling," Ella said as she sat down on her husband's lap at the table, downing the rest of his martini and kissing him on the cheek. "I see you met my husband, Isaac."

Emma looked at the couple, who were a strange pair but somehow still worked. "I did," she confirmed. She had been seated next to him at the table reserved for the dates of the wedding party. "He had some interesting stories about all of you in your college days."

"Ah yes, well don't believe a word of it, darling," Ella continued. "He is a novelist after all, so everything he says is likely to be highly fictionalized."

"Emma, there's someone I'd like you to officially meet," Regina said, drawing Emma's attention away from the odd couple. "Emma, this is Mal," she said, gesturing to the tall blonde. "And Mal, this is my girlfriend Emma."

Emma was temporarily surprised at Regina's choice of words, as Regina had been introducing her as her "friend" all night. But, she quickly recovered and turned toward the blonde. "Hi, Mal, it's nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand toward her girlfriend's sort-of ex. "I've heard a lot of great things about you."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Emma," she said, shaking the proffered hand before turning to face the brunette with a raised brow. "Girlfriend? Do you mean that casually in that all of us here are your girlfriends or have you been holding out on me?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "You of all people shouldn't be surprised, Mal," she said as she sent a quick flirtatious look toward her girlfriend, brief enough that if Mal had blinked she would have missed it.

"I see," Mal replied, looking between the two and appraising the situation. "Well, Emma, you're a lucky lady."

 ***.*.***

For most of the reception, Emma, Regina, and Mal stayed together, as Mal was flying solo at the wedding and Emma ended up getting along with her more than she expected she would. When they weren't all dancing together, they took turns dancing with each other in pairs, which worked out well because it gave Emma and Regina the chance to dance together like they wanted to, but without blowing their cover. As soon as Regina and Emma finished a dance, one of them would dance with Mal and the other would go join another group or use it as an opportunity to grab another drink. Emma was making her way back from the bar with a Manhattan in her hand when she nearly walked into Alice.

"Emma, hi!" the semi-intoxicated woman said. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. Kathryn and James know how to throw a party," she replied.

"You, Mal, and Regina were looking like you were having a _great_ time," she said with a wink.

Emma internally rolled her eyes. "Yep. They're both great," she said with a sarcastic tinge in her voice.

"Well, if any or all of you want to mix things up a bit, I'm at table 17," Alice suggested, taking a step closer to Emma.

"Excuse me, but I think I'm being summoned." Emma quickly brushed past the woman and headed back toward her table, where Mal and Regina had just taken a seat to rest their feet. "So, I'm pretty sure one of Kathryn's coworkers thinks we're having some sort of _ménage_ ," she said as she sat down next to them.

"Let them," Regina exhaled. "They're all idiots anyway."

"Tell us how you really feel, Regina," Mal laughed as she took a sip of her wine.

"And then she invited herself to join," Emma continued.

"Which one? Is she cute?" Mal asked, suddenly looking around.

"Alice at table 17," Emma clarified.

"Ugh. Sartre was right. Other people really are hell," Regina said, causing the other two women to laugh.

"Oh, how I've missed drunk Regina," Mal said, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and playfully kissing the top of her head before releasing her. "And it is nice to see you back on our team," Mal said as she finished her drink. "I always thought there was something slightly off with you and Robin… you didn't seem as happy and in love as you wanted us all to believe."

Regina shrugged and opened her mouth to make a retort, but they were quickly interrupted.

"Emma, darling, you're a dancer. Please come show us how it's done," a drunk Ella said as she seemingly came out of nowhere and grabbed Emma's arm, pulling her out of the comfort of her chair as she led her to the center of the dance floor to join Kathryn and a few of their other college friends.

"I was wrong, Regina. Emma's not the lucky one… you are," Mal commented as they watched Emma dance with Kathryn and Ella. There was no denying that Emma looked hot as hell, not to mention she was easily the best dancer out there.

"I know," Regina smiled as she watched Emma laugh, glad that her girlfriend seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself and that she fit in well with her friends. Occasionally, Emma would look back at the table and send a subtle a wink to Regina before resuming her place in the dance party.

"You love her," Mal commented as she watched Regina watch Emma.

"What?" Regina exclaimed, her attention suddenly back on her table companion.

"You're in love with her, are you not?" Mal asked, daring Regina to deny it.

"I—it's far too soon for that," Regina said. "We've only been together a few months, and we only see each other every few weeks."

"There's no time minimum requirement on these things, Regina. I've known you for almost twenty years. I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. You never looked at Robin like that, and God knows you never looked at me that way," Mal said. Regina looked like she was about to protest, so Mal stopped her. "And I never looked at you the way that Emma does, either. We were best friends who enjoyed hooking up, Regina, but you and I both know it was never going to be true love. We were young and stupid and figuring out who we were. But back to my point. It's obvious you're in love with her, and while I just met her tonight so I don't know her that well, it's fairly obvious that she feels the same way."

Regina smiled as she thought about it. She knew how she felt about the younger blonde, even if she had been trying to tell herself it was too early to feel that way. But, their relationship had developed quickly, so maybe Mal was right about time not being an important factor in their true feelings. After all, Regina knew she felt a powerful connection with the blonde almost immediately after meeting her, and it had only magnified since then. Nonetheless, she was still terrified at how quickly she was falling, because that would only make the pain so much worse if it didn't work out. There were still too many unknowns, and that frightened Regina. She wanted to enjoy the present and not let herself become too invested. After everything she had been through in her life, she had to protect herself. But, she also trusted that Emma would never deliberately hurt her, which caused a constant battle between her head and her heart.

"Come on you two, it's photobooth time," Kathryn said as she approached the table, dragging Ella and Emma along behind her. Regina and Mal chuckled as they followed the train of women toward the back corner of the room where an elaborate photoshoot had been set up, complete with props. They cut through the line and piled in front of the backdrop, which was covered in gold text sporting the official wedding hashtag #KathrynJames2017. Quickly exchanging their hats and signs between shots, they took their photographs and exited the booth.

"Want to do one of just us?" Regina whispered to Emma as they walked past the line for the photobooth.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You are my date tonight and I want a photo to commemorate the occasion."

 ***.*.***

"Do you need me to do it?" Regina asked as she leaned against the wall of the hallway and poked Emma in the shoulder, watching the blonde struggle with her keys.

"I'm not that drunk," she laughed, fumbling with the lock on the door. The key was in the keyhole, but it wasn't unlatching properly.

"Okay, dear. Take your time. It's not like my bladder is about to explode or anything."

"Okay, fine, you do it," Emma conceded, stepping out of the way.

The brunette jiggled the key slightly in the lock along with the doorknob, successfully opening the door on her first try. "Ta da!" she announced as the door swung open.

Emma rolled her eyes as she walked through, dropping her purse on the floor and kicking off her stilettos. "Okay, maybe I'm more drunk than I thought."

"It's not you. This building is old and the door gets finicky when the outside temperature drops below freezing for the first time each year. I've had more practice with it than you."

"Hmm, maybe I'll have to take it up with the landlord…put in a request for service," Emma smirked, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend.

"I'm happy to _service_ you anytime, dear. But first, I really do have to pee," she said, quickly pecking Emma's lips once more before running down the hall toward the bathroom.

Emma made a beeline for the kitchen, preheating the oven for a frozen pizza. They were both craving carbs after all the liquor they drank, not to mention that it had been hours since they had dinner and dancing had made them hungry. While she waited for the oven to heat up, she walked back to the foyer and quickly put away her shoes, jacket, and bag. She took the printouts from the photobooth at the wedding from her purse and brought them back into the kitchen, putting them both up on the fridge. She smiled at the four photos she and Regina had taken during their turn in the booth. Regina had surprised her and kissed her cheek in the last one. It wasn't a particularly scandalous gesture, as many of the guests had taken similar photos with their friends, but Emma still hadn't been expecting it. She was already planning on making a surprised face in their last photo, so she had her hand up near her mouth, but it was made that much better when the camera caught her genuinely shocked expression. She had to admit, it was a really cute picture.

After throwing the pizza into the oven, she walked into her bedroom to put on a pair of pajamas, finding her cat curled up and asleep on the end of the bed on top of her favorite pajama pants. She didn't have the heart to disturb her, so she grabbed a loose-fitting white racerback tank top and flannel pajama shorts from her dresser drawer, deciding to forgo a bra since she knew that it likely wouldn't stay on long anyway. Plus, Regina had confessed to her one night during one of their Facetime chats that she found side-boob a major turn-on. Ever since then, Emma made it a point to wear tank tops that showed off her side whenever the two of them were hanging out around the house. She also liked that it showed off her tattoo, a small outline of a swan on the side of her ribcage, just below her bra line. As a dancer she couldn't have tattoos that weren't easily covered up, so she had gotten that one because it would be hidden by most leotards and costume pieces.

The blonde emerged from the bedroom to find Regina opening a bottle of her homemade apple cider that had been chilling in the fridge. Emma couldn't help but pause at the doorway to the kitchen to let her eyes roam over her girlfriend, who was oblivious that she was being watched. Regina had changed as well, throwing on her old The Doors t-shirt with the small hole in the neck from years of wear that Emma absolutely loved. Emma chuckled as she realized how ridiculous they both looked, as they still had their hair styled and makeup on from the wedding, but they were both in their most well-worn loungewear. "Please never throw that shirt away," Emma said as she moved toward the island, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist from behind and placing a kiss on the back of her exposed neck, smiling when she noticed that Regina hadn't bothered to put on pants.

The brunette bit her lip as she tilted her head back to encourage Emma to continue with the attention she was giving her neck. "Deal… as long as you promise to keep your bra-wearing to a minimum, at least when it's just us here."

"I'll see what I can do," she replied, taking the pizza out of the oven after checking that it was done.

Regina walked over to put the bottle of cider back in the fridge, noticing the photobooth images held up with magnets on the front of the fridge. "I love these photos of us, but it's missing one thing," Regina commented. She then opened one of the drawers of the island, grabbing a red sharpie and walking back to the fridge. She promptly drew a heart around the last photo of her kissing Emma. "There."

"You're such a nerd," Emma laughed as she kissed Regina on the cheek. They each took a few slices of pizza along with their cider and made their way to plop down on the couch. "TV or music?"

"Music, please," Regina said, taking a bite of her pizza.

"Any requests?" Emma asked as she walked over to the record player.

"Surprise me."

"As you wish," she grinned. She quickly scanned the collection, which had doubled in size since Regina had decided to store most of her albums in the apartment after moving all her things out from Robin's, taking only a select few records with her to play at her rental in Nova Scotia. Emma chose the David Bowie "Heroes" album, carefully placing it on the turntable. She rejoined her girlfriend on the couch as the music played and reminded both women of their first night together back in Storybrooke.

By the time the second song was over they were done eating. When the title track "Heroes" came on, Regina stood up and extended her hand to Emma. "Dance with me," she commanded as she pulled Emma up to dance with her the way they couldn't at the wedding. She wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist, but not before playfully grabbing her flannel-clad ass. "This song reminds me of us," Regina said as Emma took her hand and led her in a simple turn before pulling the brunette back into her body.

"Isn't this song about tearing down the Berlin Wall?" Emma asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Regina laughed. "Well, yeah. Okay so maybe it's not literally us, but the idea of the media, the fans, Gold, and my mother playing that role and us going up against them."

Emma smiled. "I get it. Plus, you're the Queen of the Damned, so you can be queen any day," Emma replied, taking some artistic liberty with the lyrics.

"Plus," Regina continued. "We listened to this one the first night we spent in your apartment."

"That we did," Emma smiled at the memory.

"I think it was right around when this song came on back then that I realized there was something about you…I was already intrigued by you, don't get me wrong, but that night was when I realized I wanted to get to know you and hoped that it might turn into more," Regina confessed.

"I mean, I was always interested in you, even before I met you — I mean, how could I not be? I just don't think I realized just how interested I was until then, either," Emma confessed as well. "I was definitely hoping that this might turn into something that night, but I didn't have the balls to act on it. I'm glad you did that next day," Emma laughed.

"Oh, you mean when I awkwardly tried to kiss you in my hotel room right as Graham came knocking on my door?"

"Ha, yeah that would be it. It was cute," Emma smiled. They continued to dance and got lost in the moment. As the song came to an end, Emma closed the remaining distance between them, finally getting to passionately kiss her girlfriend the way she had wanted to all night.

"Emma?" Regina asked when they separated, resting her forehead against Emma's as she ran her hands down Emma's arms to take her hands in hers. She brought their joined hands behind her to pull the blonde closer to her, their torsos flush against each other as she gently squeezed the fingers behind her back.

"Hmm?" Emma replied as she pulled her head away just enough to look Regina in the eyes.

"I love you."

Emma smiled and kissed Regina once again, one hand coming to cup her girlfriend's cheek. "I love you, too," she said, uttering the words she had never said to anyone else in that way. "So much."

Regina sighed in relief, a few tears escaping from her eyes before Emma noticed and brushed them away with her thumb. She caught Emma's hand and placed it on her chest over her heart as she leaned in for another kiss, slowly leading her back toward the bedroom. "Let me show you how much I love you," Regina whispered between kisses.

"Yes, please."

* * *

 **A/N:** So, they finally said those three little words. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be some holiday family fluff.


	5. A Family Holiday

**A/N:** I know it's been ages. My apologies. I've been writing a multi-chapter SQ Christmas fic and that's been dominating most of my time ( _Home for the Holidays_...feel free to check it out if you haven't already! The last chapter will be up today.) But to make up for it, here's one of the longest updates in this verse to date...A little Christmas chapter with family fluff and a little drama. And this is perfect timing, since this chapter literally begins on the afternoon of Christmas Eve :)

* * *

 ** _Sunday, December 24, 4pm_**

"I can't believe you're making me do this," Emma said to Regina as she tripped on the snow. She reached out a hand to catch herself, but instead it sank into a foot of snow, burying her arm up to her elbow. Regina chuckled as she watched the blonde struggle. "You know, instead of laughing at me, you could help."

"I could…but this is far more entertaining," she commented, watching Emma as she tried to right herself. "Right now I'm having a really hard time believing you get paid to be graceful for a living. I just don't see it." As Emma finally made her way to standing, she held up one hand in the air, frowning when Regina looked back at her in confusion. "Wait, are you trying to flip me off right now?" she asked, holding back laughter. "You do realize you're wearing mittens, don't you?"

"God damn it," Emma said as she looked down at her hand, realizing her girlfriend was right. "Fuck you," she huffed as she took a few more steps, being careful not to fall again.

"Gladly, but we need to get back to the house first," Regina whispered in her ear as she floated past her effortlessly.

Emma groaned in both physical and sexual frustration as she trailed behind the brunette, finding some enjoyment that at least she got to check out Regina's ass for most of the trek through the woods. They were both wearing ridiculous snowpants, but she found Regina adorable, yet also incredibly sexy.

It started to snow again as they approached the generously-sized cabin, and by the time they both made it to the door, they were completely covered in the fresh, white powder. Instead of heading inside, Regina waited for Emma as the blonde took her time approaching the house, still walking with extreme caution. "Took you long enough," Regina winked as she opened the door for her and gestured for the blonde to go in first. They quickly divested themselves of their coats and snowshoes, placing the racquet-like devices next to the trunk in the entryway. The snowsuits came off next, and Regina took the liberty of brushing some of the remaining snow out of Emma's hair as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend from behind. "Does this help warm you up?"

"Maybe a little, but I'm still a human popsicle," Emma laughed, leaning back against Regina.

"Why don't you go sit by the fire, then, and I'll get you some hot cocoa."

"That sounds amazing," Emma confirmed, quickly walking over to the main living space and sitting down on the floor in front of the fireplace, immediately appreciating the warmth of the fire against her back. "What are you two playing?" she asked Roland and Henry, who were laying on the floor in their sweatpants. They each held a half deck of cards in their hands, save for the handful of cards on the floor between them.

"Slapjack!" Roland stated proudly. "Henry just taught me."

Emma laughed. "Oh, really? That is a fun game. And I happen to be quite good at it."

"Really?" Henry asked.

"Yes, sir. Mind if I crash your game? I can prove it to you."

Henry shrugged. "Sure, but I already dealt the cards."

"Don't worry about that, kid. I'll slap myself in and even starting from zero I'll still beat you. What rules are you playing?"

"Just doubles and sandwiches, since Roland hasn't played before."

"Alright. Bring it on," Emma said, scooting closer to the pile and eyeing the discard pile closely, her hand hovering in the air and ready to join in.

 ***.*.***

"How was snowshoeing?" Gwen asked as Regina entered the kitchen and opened the cupboards to pull out the supplies she needed to make hot chocolate.

"I had a great time. Emma, however, spent most of it on her hands and knees. She seems to struggle with coordination and balance," Regina laughed. "I told her cross-country skiing would've been easier, but she was worried about injuring herself since she has her first big show next month. Now I think she wishes she would have listened to me."

Gwen chuckled as she garnished the red potatoes in the crock pot in front of her with rosemary before setting the timer. "How far did you guys get?"

"We made it up to the lake you were talking about. It was gorgeous up there. Cold as fuck, but beautiful. I'm glad you suggested it."

"Oh, good, I'm glad you liked it."

"We did. And thank you for inviting us up here for Christmas, Gwen," Regina stated. "I know you didn't have to do that, but I'm happy you did. I'm glad that the boys don't have to split their time between Robin and me this year. I know they're still adjusting to everything, so I really appreciate you including Emma and me."

"Of course, Regina. You're both welcome here anytime," Gwen said, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder as she moved past her to the fridge. Gwen and Robin had decided to spend Christmas in Gwen's cabin on the campgrounds her family owned, as she was entering her third trimester of pregnancy and they knew they wouldn't be able to get up North again before the baby was born. It was a beautiful area, but the nearest hospital was 40 miles away. In the rural Québec winter, there was no guarantee they would even be able to get to it if there was snow on the ground. This would be her first child and because she was just shy of her 40th birthday, and therefore considered a higher risk pregnancy, they wanted to play it safe. They had decided that Gwen would move in with Robin in his condo in Montréal for the last three months of her pregnancy — that way, he would be available if she needed anything, and they would be in much closer proximity to her doctor's office and hospital as the delivery date approached. It would also be a good trial run, as they determined the next step in their relationship.

Robin and Gwen had extended the invitation for Emma and Regina to join them at Gwen's cabin for Christmas. That way, the boys wouldn't have to be shuffled back and forth over their winter break and they could all spend it together. After talking with Emma, who seemed excited by the idea of "glamping," Regina happily accepted the offer. The two women had arrived a few days earlier, and Gwen surprised them with their own tiny cabin on the lake for their first two nights, giving them the opportunity to have some much-needed alone time and explore the grounds on their own. Regina had only been back in Montréal for a few hours before they had to leave for the cabin, as her winter shooting schedule ran longer than expected. They used those two days in their tiny cabin to make up for lost time, spending most of their time rolling around on the sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace, rather than taking advantage of the winter sports and activities. When they moved to the main residence the previous afternoon, Regina had suggested that they should actually partake in some of the winter adventure fun. They had gone dogsledding that first evening, which Emma loved. Snowshoeing, however, did not seem to be Emma's forte.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Regina asked as she watched Gwen take out some butter and apples from the fridge.

"Yes, actually. I was hoping you would show me your apple turnovers recipe…" Gwen said, a pleading smile on her face.

"Absolutely."

 ***.*.***

"That's it!" Regina said as she watched Gwen sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the turnovers before sliding them into the oven. "But now that you know the secret recipe, you can never tell a soul. I'm trusting you…"

"Girl Scout's honor," Gwen said as she held up three fingers. "Thank you, Regina. They already look amazing."

"You are very welcome," she smiled, which quickly turned to a frown when she heard a "Nooooooo!" echo from the living room. She quickly wiped her flour-covered hands on a dishtowel before walking toward the commotion. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she approached, seeing a sulking Henry and a smiling Roland. When she looked to her girlfriend for clarification, Emma just had a shit-eating grin on her face. "What is going on in here?"

"They're cheating," Henry complained, looking over at the other two before down at his hands, which were now empty. He had lost the game.

"This game is all about the reflexes, kid. It's not really possible to cheat," Emma defended, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, come on. You're totally showing Roland your card before you flip it," Henry complained. "It gives him a head start."

Emma shrugged, sharing a knowing look with Regina. "That's just how I flip cards."

"Henry, why don't you come help me prep the cranberry sauce for tomorrow? And your dad will be back soon and will want your help with the fish," Regina suggested.

"Fine," Henry groaned as he stood up, sending Emma a glare. "But I want a rematch – just me and you."

"Fine by me…I'll still win," she said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Regina lightly nudged Henry toward the kitchen as he walked past, while she quickly went over to Emma and kissed the top of her head, collecting the empty hot chocolate mugs sitting on the fireplace hearth. "Thank you," she whispered so that Roland wouldn't hear her, "for letting Roland win."

"Of course."

Back in the kitchen, Gwen was helping Henry wash the cranberries for the sauce as best as she could with her large pregnant belly in the way. Regina chuckled at the sight as she walked in, but also felt a pinch of longing in her gut. She tried to ignore it and made her way to the fridge to get out some vegetables to steam as a side dish for their Christmas Eve dinner. "Honey, I'm home," Robin's voice called as he walked through the back door, stomping his feet on the doormat to get off the excess snow.

"Hi, baby," Gwen smiled as Robin walked in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Hi, sweetie," Regina mocked from where she was chopping broccoli on the island.

"Hello to you, too," he said, kissing her cheek as he walked by.

"For a divorcing couple, you guys have a weird relationship," Henry commented.

Regina chuckled as Robin winked at her. "He's not wrong," she agreed.

"True," Robin shrugged as he popped a piece of freshly chopped broccoli into his mouth, earning a slap from Regina.

"Did you bring us dinner?" Regina asked, looking back toward the door and noticing the cooler he had brought in.

"Indeed. Caught six walleye."

"Excellent. Then, I will turn the kitchen over to you, and I'm going to go relax with my girlfriend and Roland," she said, handing him the knife she had been using to chop the vegetables.

 ***.*.***

"Oh, this is the best part!" Roland cheered from his place on the couch between the two women. After Emma had forfeited the game of Slapjack and Regina came into the room, Roland convinced them to watch _Elf_ for what must have been the sixth time since the holiday season had started. Regina and Emma shared a smile over his head before turning their attention to the TV for Roland's favorite part of the movie.

"Dinner's ready!" Robin called, popping his head into the living room.

"Okay, Dad! As soon as this is done."

"Now, Roland."

"But Dad!"

"Roland, we can finish watching it after dinner," Regina chimed in. "Now, go wash up."

He rolled his eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine," he whined as he hopped down from the couch and stomped past all the adults.

"I cannot wait until he's a teenager," Robin said sarcastically as he watched his son walk by.

"It was only a matter of time before he started showing attitude. Frankly, being your son, I'm surprised it took him that long," Regina joked as she walked past him, holding Emma's hand and guiding her into the dining area that separated the kitchen from the living space.

"This looks amazing," the blonde commented. "You seriously caught these today?" she asked as she sat down in front of the dish with the grilled walleye.

"I did. There's nothing like sitting on the ice for hours waiting for the fish to bite," Robin confirmed.

"Wait, are you being serious or sarcastic?" Emma asked. She couldn't tell.

"I'm dead serious. I love it. It's very meditative, and there's nothing like eating fish the same day it was caught. You can't get it any fresher than that."

"Isn't it freezing, though?" she asked as she took a fish and passed the dish to Regina on her left, before accepting the bowl of roasted potatoes from Gwen to her right.

Robin chuckled. "It is, but we have these little huts that help keep us warm. It's really quite relaxing. You're welcome to come out with me next time."

"I think I'll just take your word for it," Emma said, shaking her head.

"Emma has not had much luck with outdoor winter sports. She'd probably manage to fall through the ice," Regina commented, wrapping her arm around the blonde so she could kiss her cheek.

 ***.*.***

After dinner, the family of six were sprawled out in the living room. As promised, Regina and Robin let Roland finish watching the end of _Elf_ , and then they all decided to watch _Home Alone_. "I still can't believe you kids haven't seen this," Emma commented as Henry put the DVD in. "It's such a classic."

"Isn't it, like, super old?" Henry asked. "Like from the 90s?"

"Excuse me, young man, but the 90s were not that long ago," Regina said as she sent him a glare.

"And, that's what makes it a classic," Emma added. "You'll see." The two women were cuddled up on the loveseat, while Gwen was laying on the adjacent sofa with her feet across Robin's lap. She was at the point in her pregnancy where her ankles were perpetually swollen and sore, so Robin was lightly massaging her feet. The two youngest family members were sprawled out on the floor, Roland laying on his belly in front of the fireplace, while Henry was reclining in one of the beanbag chairs in front of the television. A few bowls of popcorn were scattered around the room, easily accessible by everyone, and mugs of hot apple cider were resting on the coffee table.

The kids quickly became absorbed in the movie, watching with wide eyes as Kevin got himself into all sorts of trouble on the screen. Robin eventually looked over at Regina and quietly brought up the topic he had been avoiding since the women arrived, not wanting to sour the mood. "Regina, I am so sorry for what happened this week," he said, wanting to take the opportunity to apologize in person.

She shrugged as she looked over at him, her fingers still mindlessly finger-combing Emma's curls. The blonde had worn her hair in two boxer braids for their outdoor adventure and had taken them out before dinner, leaving her hair extremely wavy. "Don't worry about it. I dealt with it and it's fine. It's hardly your fault, anyway."

"I know, but still. I'm sorry it got that far."

"And I'm sorry they invaded your privacy like that. She had no right to do that to you. I still think you should sue her. She had to be breaking some sort of patient privacy law."

"I think that only applies to the employees," Robin pointed out.

"Well, still."

"I think your rant probably put her in her place," Emma added.

"I hope so. I kind of feel bad about what I said. I've never been that blunt before, especially not in a direct response to a fan. But, it needed to be done." Regina thought back to the video she had posted to her Twitter account a few days earlier that had gone viral, much to the chagrin of some of her show's producers. They had complained that she had been far too harsh and that it made her seem unapproachable. They told her that she should have just ignored it. But, she didn't care what they thought — no one messed with her family, as dysfunctional as it may be. While her producers may have been angry, many other celebrities and public figures, along with some fans, retweeted her reply with their own words of support.

Earlier in the week, a fan had crossed a line that served as her breaking point — it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Gwen had gone in for her most recent checkup and ultrasound as she approached her third trimester, and Robin had obviously gone with her. Even though it was winter and Robin stayed bundled up in his hat and scarf, even inside the OBGYN's waiting room, he was still recognized. A few people had spotted Gwen and Robin together out and about in Montréal earlier in the year, mostly before Gwen was noticeably pregnant, but not much had been said about them. The couple had intentionally kept a low profile to keep the media away from Gwen, and they were careful not to publicly display their affection for one another. A few fans speculated about the nature of Robin and Gwen's relationship here and there, but it wasn't anything Robin or Regina deemed worthy of addressing. As Gwen's pregnancy became more obvious, they took care to be even more discreet.

However, their private relationship became very public when one of Regina's fans happened to be in the same doctor's office waiting room and snapped a photograph of a very pregnant Gwen holding Robin's hand, which she then posted to Instagram and Twitter with the caption: _Well, I guess we know the real reason for the #Robina breakup. I can't believe anyone would cheat on 'ReginaMills'. 'RobinLocksley', you never deserved her in the first place. You're a fucking asshole, and so are your mistress and bastard child. How could you do that to her?_ The photograph had circulated widely and quickly. After Regina's response video, the girl who posted the picture immediately deleted it and deactivated her accounts. But, the damage had been done — the photograph had been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, and other fans had saved it and reposted it themselves. Some had taken it down after watching Regina's video, but there were still a handful who loved to stir the pot, common courtesy be damned.

Regina had come across the photograph before Robin did, and she immediately texted both Emma and Robin to let them know about it and what she was going to do. It had thrown her into a blind rage, and she wanted to respond before Emma or Robin could talk her out of it. She had immediately taken out her phone and recorded a video in her trailer between scenes, calling the girl out who had posted it. She had always been delicate in dealing with bullying in the fandom in the past, which usually occurred between fans of opposing ships. In those cases, she usually just addressed them during her convention panels or occasionally online, trying to placate everyone by saying that she supported all the ships and that as fans of the show, there was no reason to put down one ship just to bolster another. But that girl had launched a direct attack on the people she cared about, and she wasn't going to tread lightly.

She started the video by saying that she personally had a zero tolerance for bullying and reminded people to be considerate and think about what they write — trying to get fifteen minutes of fame for being the one to post a new picture or identify a new piece of gossip wasn't worth the very real pain it can cause someone else. "If you genuinely care about someone, be it someone you know in real life or someone whose work you are a fan of, you wouldn't contribute to the spread of rumors about them and their family. And you certainly wouldn't violate their privacy in such an egregious way," she had said in the video, legitimately tearing up as she continued her diatribe. "I don't know if this was intended as a malicious attack on Robin, or if it was some misguided attempt at protecting or defending me, but let me make it very clear: I am a grown-ass woman, and I do not need or want my fans to try to protect me online, especially when it involves attacking another person to do so. I am extremely disappointed and disturbed that someone would blatantly invade Robin's privacy like that, especially in a place like a doctor's office waiting room. Not only did you violate his privacy, but you violated the privacy of everyone else who can be seen in the background of that photograph…They may have been coming into the doctor to receive bad news or make hard decisions, and now it is immortalized forever in a photograph online, all due to your own need for attention.

In the video, Regina took a breath and wiped a stray tear before she continued. "More to the point, even if it wasn't at the doctor's office, it would still be uncalled for. You do not know everything that goes on in my life. I am very generous with my time and let you into my life through my social media posts, interviews, and _Frozen Mirror_ conventions, but it is always on my terms. It is up to me to decide what I want to share with you and what I want to keep private. You certainly do not know everything about me or my life, nor are you entitled to. There are some things that I do keep to myself, especially about my family and those I love. Taking that photo and sharing it online was not only extremely disrespectful to everyone in the picture, but it was also incredibly disrespectful to me. Think of it this way — if he had been unfaithful to me, would I want fans passing around photographs of it as a constant reminder? No, of course not. What you did only served to hurt me and those I care about. In no way would that photograph help me. And not that I owe any of you an explanation, but because it is out there now and I don't want Robin getting any more hate, let me make it perfectly clear: Robin never cheated on me. He and I had already separated and agreed to move on with our lives before he started seeing the woman seen in the photograph. She is a lovely woman and I have grown to consider her a friend — in fact, we're all spending Christmas together. So, while I love and thank you all for the support you show to me and the show, please, stay out of our private lives," she had said as she concluded the video, not even trying to hide the fact that she was crying as she spoke her final sentences. She realized the irony that some might consider her response as bullying the girl who started it all, but it had to be said. And fortunately, most of the fan response was positive and supportive.

 ***.*.***

"I can hear you thinking," Emma mumbled as she rolled over in Regina's arms to face her, wrapping her right arm around her girlfriend's waist. She then wedged her thigh between Regina's, causing the brunette to roll onto her back so Emma could snuggle in closer. It was in the early hours of Christmas morning, and they were both exhausted. After struggling to put the boys to bed the night before, especially an excited eight year old, the adults had stayed up well past midnight to ensure the kids were asleep before they carefully laid out the presents under the tree. At age 13, Henry was well past the age of believing in Santa, but he went along with it for Roland's sake — not to mention Robin and Regina threatened him by saying that when Roland stopped believing, that would be the end of the Santa gifts. It was in Henry's best interest to keep the belief alive. They had finally made it to bed a little after 1:30a.m., and it was barely 6:30 in the morning when Emma had woken up after feeling her girlfriend staring at her.

"It's nothing," Regina said as she closed her eyes, determined to sleep a little longer.

"If it was nothing, then it wouldn't have woken me up. What's going on?" Emma asked as she pressed herself up on her elbows, allowing her to get a better look at her girlfriend.

When Regina opened her eyes again, she saw the concern in the green eyes staring back at her. She sighed. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I already do, so that shouldn't really be a concern of yours," Emma said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Funny," Regina deadpanned, but a hint of a smile cracked her lips for a brief second. "This is the first year that I haven't at least spoken to my mother on Christmas Eve. Don't get me wrong, I'm still livid over what she did — the manipulation, the lies. But—"

"But part of you still misses her," Emma finished.

"Yeah. I really thought she would call me yesterday. I know it's crazy…"

"It's not crazy," Emma interrupted. "You're allowed to have conflicted feeling about her. What she did to you was horrible…there's no way around it, but she's still your mother."

"Yeah," Regina sighed, subconsciously pulling Emma back down to her, needing to feel the weight of the other woman on top of her. Emma followed willingly, placing a few open-mouthed kisses on Regina's collarbone, starting at her shoulder as she worked her way toward the center of her sternum. Regina quietly hummed until she thought better of it, gently running her fingers along the top of Emma's head and eventually using her thumb to lightly press against the blonde's forehead. "As much as I'd love to continue this, I think we're going to have a very excited child screaming for presents in about five minutes."

Emma giggled as she collapsed back on top of her girlfriend. "You're probably right. You know, I haven't celebrated Christmas in a house with kids since I was one. This should make it a lot more fun."

Regina smiled as she shimmied out from under Emma, sitting up and stretching her tired body a bit. "I'm glad you're here with us, then. It's always a blast." She stood up and walked across the floor to grab her hairbrush, combing through her bedhead before giving up and throwing it into a ponytail.

"Stupid question, but should I get dressed in real clothes or is Christmas morning in pajamas okay?" Emma asked as she sat up.

"It's more than okay. I'm not putting on real clothes until someone forces me to. If it were up to me I'd wear these all day and night," she said, gesturing to the green and white flannel pajama top she was wearing. "I do need to find my pants, though. Any idea where they might be?" she asked with an accusatory look.

"You mean these?" Emma asked as she reached over her side of the bed to pick up the garment that had been pushed underneath the bedframe the previous night. Even though they had gone to bed extremely late after arranging presents under the tree, they still had managed to have a little bit of pantless fun before they crashed.

"Yes, those," she said as she walked toward Emma.

"Nope, mine," Emma grinned, quickly pulling them on herself as she hopped out of bed.

"You're such a child," Regina laughed as she turned around and searched for another pair of pants to put on, settling on a pair of black leggings that were sitting on top of Emma's open suitcase.

"What's the point of dating another woman if you can't steal her clothes? Seriously, it's like having double the wardrobe," Emma smiled as she twisted her hair into a bun and grabbed a white tank top to throw on over her bra.

Regina hummed noncommittally as she opened their bedroom door and grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on, I'm hungry and I'd like to at least have a little something to eat before we get roped into opening presents for an hour."

"Seems to me you could have eaten this morning," Emma whispered seductively in her ear as she allowed herself to be dragged toward the kitchen.

 ***.*.***

"So, this is what Christmas with children is like," Emma said as she observed the utter destruction in front of her, resting her head on Regina's shoulder. The rich maple flooring of the cabin was completely covered by torn wrapping paper — not a single wood plank was visible under the metallic green and red giftwrap. On top of the paper were plastic toy containers, strewn carelessly about the living room. Robin had given Henry a Swiss Army knife as one of his presents, and the teenager decided he had to open every one of Roland's toys with it, carefully carving around the clear plastic borders of the packaging. Then, there were the toys themselves, clothing, and other presents scattered around the room. Emma was pretty sure there was a large Toblerone chocolate bar buried under one of the paper piles. There was no way of knowing for sure until someone braved the mess and attempted to clean it up.

"Yep," Regina confirmed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate with miniature marshmallows in the "World's Greatest Mom" mug Roland gave her for Christmas that morning. He had made it in his art class earlier that month and could barely contain his excitement as she unwrapped the present.

"Good to know," Emma smiled, finding the entire scene amusing. She hadn't celebrated a proper Christmas in years. Truthfully, she had spent most of the Christmases of her adult life alone. She managed to make it back to Minneapolis to spend Christmas with her childhood dance teacher who had been a profound mentor in her life once or twice over the years, but that had gotten complicated, especially when she was still in the ballet company and required to stay in New York for performances of the _Nutcracker_. She had also spent one Christmas with Killian's family, but she felt like she was intruding, so she started turning down the invitations and just going there for Thanksgiving. If Killian didn't go home for Christmas, they would spend it together, and maybe invite Neal if he was sticking around town. But more often than not, Emma flew solo. She had never been religious, so she didn't feel a strong need to celebrate it for spiritual reasons and without family, it was quite a boring day. When she lived in New York, it had been easy enough to find restaurants and shops that were still open, given the cultural diversity of the city. But in Storybrooke, Maine, the entire town shut down on that day, forcing Emma to make her peace with being alone. But this year, Emma had wonderful people to share it with, and she finally started to see the appeal of the holiday.

 ***.*.***

As they day wore on, Emma noticed that Regina was becoming more and more agitated. She caught the brunette picking at one of her finger nails, which Emma had learned over the past few months was one of her nervous habits. It was also the reason — well, one of the reasons — that she kept her nails short and usually without polish. It would be too time-consuming to get a manicure every other day to fix the damage. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Just thinking," she replied as she covered her frown with a false grin.

"About Cora?"

Regina shrugged, but also gave a small nod.

"You should call her."

"Emma, that's a terrible idea," Regina said, looking over at her girlfriend.

"Probably, but you're going to keep stressing about it until you do it, so you may as well put yourself out of your misery."

"If she wanted to talk to me, she would have called me."

"Okay, so text her, then. Just send her a quick 'Merry Christmas' text and leave it at that."

Regina scoffed. "That's even worse than calling. My mother doesn't text. She thinks it's for degenerates who have lost the art of conversation."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

They returned their attention to the television, where the kids were battling each other in some new video game Henry got that morning. Emma became so engrossed in the on-screen action that she barely heard Regina when she quietly spoke. "Do you really think I should call her?"

Emma looked over at her, hating how distraught the other women appeared. "I do. I think you're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't. And really, it probably can't go any worse than you're imagining it in your head. And whatever happens, I'm here for you."

Regina picked at her nail once more before stopping abruptly, dropping her hands back into her lap. "Okay. I'll do it now." She stood up and grabbed her phone off the coffee table, walking with determination down the hallway to the bedroom where they were staying.

Robin came and sat down next to Emma, taking the seat Regina had just vacated. "She looks like a woman on a mission," he commented. "What was that about?"

"She's calling Cora."

"Oh," Robin said, taken aback. "Really?"

Emma looked over at him in concern. "Yeah, why?"

"I just figured she'd never want to talk to that bitch again."

"Well, I don't think she's looking forward to it, but she's been stressing out about it all day."

"Oh, right. Their annual Christmas Eve phone call," Robin said knowingly.

"Yeah. That didn't happen. Though I'm not sure why it is such a big deal?"

Robin hesitated before explaining it to Emma. "As you know, Regina and her mother have never been particularly close. At times, they would go months, sometimes close to a year, without talking. But, there are three days per year that no matter what, they decided they would always call — Regina's birthday in February, Cora's in June, and Christmas Eve. This is the first time since I've known Regina that her mother has missed a call."

"Oh. Shit," Emma said. "What if it doesn't go well?" as she looked down the hall, waiting for her girlfriend to reappear. "I shouldn't have pushed her to do it."

"Emma, she's a big girl. She can handle it," Robin assured her.

"I just don't want her to hate me if this doesn't go well."

"She won't. I can't see Regina ever hating you, Emma."

"Okay, but she might blame me."

"No, she won't. Relax. I'm sure it'll be fine," he offered, patting the top of her knee just as the doorbell rang. "Oh, I should get that." He walked over to the front, door, pulling it back and causing the bells on the wreath to jingle loudly.

"Merry Christmas to all!" a booming voice rang out through the room.

"John!" Robin smiled, pulling the jovial man into a hug. "Good to see you, man."

"Thank you for inviting us! Now, where is the lovely lady of the house?" John asked as two other men followed him in.

"Well, you'll need to be a bit more specific," Robin chuckled, recognizing the absurdity of his situation. "Gwen is finishing up dinner and Regina is on the phone down the hall. And Emma, who you haven't met yet, is over here," he said, gesturing for the three men to follow as he walked back into the living room. "Emma, I'd like you to meet my mates John, Will, and his husband Felix."

"It's nice to meet you," Emma said as she shook each of their hands.

"You as well. So, how do you know Robin?" John asked.

"Wait, aren't you Regina's dance instructor?" Will asked, causing the three guys to look at him in surprise. "What? I follow Regina on Instagram. I know these things."

"No offense, but why would her dance instructor be here?" Felix asked, thinking out loud.

"Actually, she's my girlfriend," Regina said as she walked back into the room, her phone in her hand. For good measure, she pulled Emma in for a kiss to stop them from asking anymore questions. "It's good to see you again, guys."

"You look lovely as always, Regina," John said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"So, the dance teacher thing?" Will asked, still intrigued and confused.

"Mainly just a cover since Robin and I hadn't announced our separation yet and I'm still not publicly 'out' thanks to my _Frozen Mirror_ contract. Emma really is a dancer, though, and quite a talented one. She did help me regain my coordination for the musical episode, so it wasn't total bullshit."

"Speaking of, Regina," Will started. "When is your show doing it? I thought it was supposed to happen already?"

"Wow, you really are a diehard fan, aren't you?" Emma joked.

"I am. Regina is hella talented. But I was also a theater major in college, and am obsessed with Broadway, so I'm particularly on edge waiting for this."

"Ah," Emma nodded.

"It was originally supposed to be the winter finale, but they ran into issues with some of the music licensing rights or something back in October, so we couldn't film it. They had to restructure it, so it's now going to be the spring premiere. We're filming it the first week of February," Regina explained.

"Oh, good. I can't wait!" Will said.

"Dinner's ready!" Gwen called from the kitchen.

A chorus of "coming!" was heard from all four men as they hurried into the kitchen, where the scent of stuffed Cornish game hen was enticing them.

"Roland, Henry," Regina warned. They two boys were still camped out in front of their new video game, oblivious to anything happening around them. The house could be on fire and they wouldn't have noticed. "Go wash up. Now."

"Yes, Mom," they both sighed as they did as they were told.

Before Regina could take a step toward the kitchen, Emma tugged on her wrist. "Hey, what happened in there? Are you okay?" The woman had looked as flawless as ever when she came out of the bedroom a few minutes earlier, but Emma could see the redness in her eyes and knew she had been crying.

"My mother was…well, she was Cora," Regina confirmed. "But, she at least answered the phone, so that's more than I expected from her."

Emma slid her hand down from the brunette's wrist to thread their fingers together. "Let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you want to talk about it later."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. It could have been much worse. I've been dealing with her my whole life."

"I know," Emma smiled sadly. "But it's Christmas, and I'm here, so you don't have to deal with it alone if you don't want to."

 ***.*.***

"Thank you," Emma said as she snuggled into Regina's side later that night as they watched four grown men take on two young boys in Mario Kart.

Regina raised a brow. "For what?"

"For this. For including me in your Christmas," Emma replied, nestling even closer to Regina. The cabin was warm from the roaring fireplace and the heat from the cookies currently baking in the oven, but Emma enjoyed using Regina's body as her personal furnace.

Regina smiled as she looked down at her girlfriend, who continued to burrow under her arm. "I can't imagine spending it any other way."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! I'm hoping to have time to write the next chapter or two over my short winter break, so hopefully it won't be quite this long between updates next time :). The next chapter will be purely SQ and we'll also see how they handle their first real argument.

Merry Christmas to anyone celebrating, and have a happy and safe new year.


	6. The Argument

**A/N:** This chapter has been ready for a few days, but since it takes place today, I figured why not post it in real time? (Though I didn't want to wait until 6:30 tonight to post it, so it's a little early).

* * *

 ** _Thursday, January 11, 6:30pm_**

"Regina!" Mary-Margaret shouted as she saw the older brunette at the catering table. They were in the midst of another long day of filming, and they both had about an hour to kill between their scenes as the crew worked to reset the soundstage. It was right around dinner hour, and Regina was famished. As soon as she was able to change out of the corset she had been in all day and into more comfortable clothes for her upcoming scene, she made a beeline for the table with the delicious spread of sustenance. She had been hungry since three o'clock, but the corset hadn't allowed her to eat a full meal.

"Hey, Mary-Margaret," she said as she took a bite of her sandwich, followed by one of the salt and vinegar chips on her plate. "What's up?"

"I just heard the good news!" the woman beamed. "You must be excited to work with her."

Regina pursed her lips slightly, trying to comprehend what her co-star was saying. "What are you talking about, Mary-Margaret? Work with who?"

"Emma, of course!" she said, looking at Regina as though she was crazy.

"What?" Regina asked. "What do you mean?"

"Wait, you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"I was just on the phone with Gaston," she said, referring to the director for the upcoming musical episode. "He was talking about the dancers they cast and he mentioned someone named Emma as a lead dancer in my scene. I asked if it was Emma Swan and he said yes."

Regina felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Wait, Emma got cast in the show?"

"She didn't tell you?" Mary-Margaret looked confused. She thought the two women were friends, and she knew Emma had worked with Regina to help her on her dance training, so she was surprised the blonde hadn't mentioned it.

"No, she did not," Regina exhaled. "Excuse me."

 ***.*.***

"Why didn't you tell me?" Regina asked as she paced back and forth in her trailer, casting an occasional glance at her girlfriend on her Macbook screen. Her laptop was resting on the trailer's kitchenette counter, allowing her to see her girlfriend, who was back in her apartment in Montréal and was in the process of boiling water for her pasta dinner.

"I literally found out like eight hours ago that they were offering me the part, Regina," Emma replied. "I didn't want to tell you via text, which is why I just texted you to call me when you had a few minutes."

"Why didn't you tell me you were auditioning for it?"

"I didn't know I was. Remember a few months ago when I mentioned we were having industry auditions at the company's studio?" When she saw Regina nod her head slightly, she continued. "Well, what they told us was for a teen vampire television drama was actually for _Frozen Mirror_. I don't know if it was always going to be for your show and they were just trying to keep it a secret, or if they share a casting director and choreographer and decided to cast both that day. But they literally just pulled a few of us aside this morning after rehearsal to tell us."

"And you're taking the job, I assume?" Regina asked, briefly pausing her pacing to look at her girlfriend on the screen.

"Of course I am. I accepted it on the spot. Why wouldn't I?" Emma asked, somewhat rhetorically. She heard Regina sigh and watched as she tilted her head back before resuming her pacing. "Wait," Emma continued. "Why are you mad about this?"

"I just wish you would have talked to me first before accepting the part."

"Why? Shouldn't this be a good thing?"

"Yes, but—"

"But what?" Emma interrupted.

Regina stopped walking and turned toward the screen. "This is my career, Emma," Regina said firmly into the laptop.

"Yeah, I know…and it's mine, too." Emma pointed out, her adrenaline starting to build. She had thought this would have been an easy and exciting conversation, but it had taken an unexpected turn.

"Yeah, but this is just one random gig for you. This is what I do every day."

"Are you saying your career is more important than mine?"

"No, of course not."

"Well, that's what it sounds like to me."

"Well, that's not at all what I meant."

"Really? Well then tell me, Regina, what do you mean? Because I'm confused as hell right now. Why is me dancing in one random episode of _Frozen Mirror_ such a problem? Do you not want me there? Is that why you've never invited me to visit you in Halifax?"

Emma could hear Regina growl in frustration as the brunette walked away from the laptop, running a hand through her hair and briefly disappearing from view. Before Regina had a chance to respond, she heard a knock on her trailer door and one of the production assistants call for her. "Regina, we're ready for you. We need you on set in five," the woman said through the closed door.

"Thank you," she called back before walking back toward the computer and turning to look at Emma, who was still expecting an answer. "I have to go."

"What? Regina…"

"We'll talk later. I have to go film my next scene," she quickly walked up to her laptop and closed it, not giving Emma the chance to say anything else as the call disconnected.

 ***.*.***

Back in Montréal, Emma looked at her blank iPhone screen that moments ago had shown her irate girlfriend's face. Regina had hung up on her, and Emma was fuming. She had thought Regina would be happy they would have the chance to work together, and she had thought that Regina would have congratulated her on getting such a coveted role, an opportunity that dancers all over North America would love to have. Instead, the brunette had withdrawn from her and was clearly angry. Emma just didn't understand why, and Regina was doing a poor job of explaining herself.

She was so distracted by everything that had happened during their short call that she had forgotten about the pasta water on her stove, which promptly started to boil over. "Shit!" she said as she turned around to the water spilling onto the gas stove, causing the fire to flare up briefly as she removed the pot from the burner. She quickly got it under control, quite literally throwing the penne pasta into the water and grabbing her phone to quickly call Regina. As she predicted, it didn't even ring and went straight to voicemail. This wasn't unusual, as Regina would often completely turn her phone to airplane mode when she was filming so a notification or vibration wouldn't get picked up by the microphones on set. "Regina, please call me back as soon as you're done filming so we can talk about this," Emma said with a sigh. "I'm not understanding why you're upset about me getting this part, so I'd really like to hear from you. Thanks," she hung up. She bit her lip as she contemplated her next step, ultimately deciding to text Regina as well, as she knew the brunette may not be able to listen to a voicemail in between scenes, but she would definitely see a text as soon as she turned her phone back on: _'please call me when you get a few minutes. I know it might be late, but I'll wait up.'_ She hesitated briefly, and then quickly texted another message: _'I love you.'_ With a groan of frustration, she slid her phone across the island as she turned her attention back to the stove to finish preparing her dinner, even though she no longer had an appetite.

 ***.*.***

"Oh, Regina, a moment," Robert Gold said as the brunette walked off the soundstage late that night. They had been filming the same few scenes on the green screen for nearly four hours, and she was exhausted. She also saw that she had several missed calls and texts from Emma, and she knew the blonde wouldn't go to bed until they talked. It was already nearing midnight. She was dreading the conversation, but she knew they had to have it. "Can I have a word, please," he stated again. It was a demand, not a question.

"What is it, Gold?" she sighed, exasperated at his presence. He rarely came to set, as he spent most of his time in their studio's main office in New York or its Montréal satellite site, but he occasionally came up to Halifax to check in. "It's been a long day and I'd like to get home."

"Yes, I'm sure you would."

"So make this quick then, please."

"Very well, dearie. Your request for the last weekend of the month off has been denied. We had to modify the filming schedule to account for Lucy's movie schedule."

"What?" Regina shouted, looking at the shooting schedule he handed her. "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

He smirked. "No, I'm not."

"Gold, I told you months ago that I have to be in Montréal that weekend. I can't be here. And everyone already signed off on it months ago. It's already been approved."

"Yes, well, now it's been unapproved."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, but I can. Lucy has a conflict with the Disney Channel movie she's been cast in, and they are graciously moving one of her filming dates to accommodate us, so we have to accommodate them as well."

"Lucy has been on this show for all of five minutes," Regina seethed, referring to the young actress who started on the show earlier in the season as a recurring cast member. She played Mary-Margaret and David's long lost granddaughter, who was also part demon superhero. _God, this show is so weird_ , Regina thought to herself. "Not to pull rank here, but come on, Gold. I've been here since the beginning."

"Well, she's a minor, so we can't make her work longer hours to get her coverage in, and has another commitment we must work around."

"You would _never_ let any of us audition for any projects that might conflict with filming. But this new 11-year-old gets a free pass for some made-for-TV movie?"

"Yes, because she is drawing in a new demographic for us, and her wholesome Disney Channel movie might bring over even more viewers in the tween demographic. You know our studio _loves_ to appeal to _families_."

Regina analyzed his smug smile as he silently challenged her. She knew his game. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Why in Heaven's name would I do that?"

"You know what that weekend is for me, don't you," Regina said, daring him to deny it.

"Oh, well, I may have seen an advertisement in that Montréal lifestyle magazine when I was home over Christmas advertising the first performance of the year for your _friend's_ dance company. I can only assume that's why you requested it off."

"Cut the bullshit, Gold. You know what Emma means to me," Regina said. After that horrific summer dinner party with Gold and her mother, Regina gave up trying to deny the true nature of her relationship with Emma when it came to Gold. She had thought that maybe Gold finally would feel at least some empathy for her, given that he had been just as manipulated by Cora as she had. She thought they had a silent understanding. But, she was clearly mistaken.

"Yes, well, that is neither here nor there. I cannot control Lucy's filming schedule."

"Of course you can't," Regina replied sarcastically. "It's not like you don't know the executives over there and couldn't have made a quick phone call to manipulate their schedule to purposefully keep me from going home that weekend. That doesn't sound like something you would do _at all._ "

Gold said nothing.

"And what if I refuse to play your little game?" she asked, taking a step closer to him. "What if I refuse to work that weekend?"

"Well, rumor has it that our casting director went rogue and cast your little girlfriend in our musical episode. I was supposed to approve all hires, but somehow that job offer slipped through the cracks. I could always make sure that oversight is rectified."

Regina bit her tongue. She wasn't happy about Emma's involvement in the show for many reasons, and in some respects, having her removed from the project would be better. But, she knew if they reneged on her contract, Emma would blame her for it, even if it wasn't her doing. That would be worse.

"And," he continued. "Don't forget that a lot of the cast, including yourself, have expiring contracts at the end of this season. We are still deciding who we are going to ask back. I would be very careful if I were you…not only with your behavior on-set, but off-set as well. Everyone is watching you closely." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Regina to continue staring at the call sheet in her hands and leaving her with another hard conversation to have with the woman she loved.

 ***.*.***

"Hey," Regina said when she finally got up the courage to dial Emma's number. She decided on a voice call instead of Facetiming, because if this conversation went poorly, she couldn't stand to see the pain on her girlfriend's face. She was lying on the double bed in her Halifax apartment. It was much smaller than the king-sized she had had at her apartment with Robin, and still significantly smaller than the queen-sized that was in her old apartment where Emma was living. But since she was always by herself since the show started filming eight and a half years ago, the smaller bed made her feel less lonely — there was less of an empty space next to her. But that night, she just missed Emma. It was her first week back on set after having nearly a month off, and she had spent every night of her hiatus next to the blonde. "I'm sorry it's so late," she said, realizing it was well after midnight.

"It's fine," Emma said, as she too rested against the headboard of her own bed. She subconsciously grabbed the pillow Regina often slept on and brought it to rest on her stomach. "How was the rest of your night shooting?"

Regina sighed. She could tell Emma was trying to make small talk, because neither one of them wanted to have the conversation they both knew was coming. But, she was tired, and wanted to get it over with. "The filming part was fine. Long, but fine."

"I feel like there's another 'but' somewhere in there," Emma commented.

"Yeah. Gold pulled me aside afterward and we got into it. Frankly I'm surprised he and I went this long without a confrontation. It's been awhile."

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"It is what it is," she said, taking a breath. The silence on both ends was deafening. Regina finally broke it. "Look, Emma, I'm sorry if I made it seem like I'm not happy that you got the part or if I implied that your career isn't important. It absolutely is."

"But…"

"But…it's complicated."

"Okay, so uncomplicate it for me," Emma demanded, sitting up and crossing her legs as though preparing herself for a battle. She brought Regina's pillow to her lap and rested her free arm across it.

"It's not that I don't want you to come to Halifax. I would love nothing more than to have you up here. It gets lonely, especially when I'm not on set. And I think it's great that the casting director selected you. I'm not surprised, because you're so incredibly talented."

"Okay…" Emma kept waiting for an explanation. She didn't need to be buttered up first. "So what's the problem? Because I'm still not seeing it."

"It's a few things. Even though it's just one episode, I've always thought it's a bad idea to work with the people you're involved with romantically."

"Regina, we may not even have scenes together. But even if we do, we're both going to be so busy that it won't matter."

"I know…but then there's also the fan component. This episode will have a lot of exterior shots for Mary-Margaret's coma-induced dream sequence, so fans will be everywhere. I don't want to have to hide our relationship…I love you so much, and I don't want to have to worry that others may pick up on that every time I see you and interact with you. I don't think I can hide it any more, especially not for that length of time. These are going to be 15 hour days for five days in a row. I can't pretend to be just your friend for that length of time. It's one thing if we're grabbing lunch at a bistro in Montréal and need to pretend to just be friends for an hour while we're in public, but we're going to be together a lot over the course of the episode filming."

"Regina, there are like 60-some dancers being hired for this. You probably won't see me at all."

"Well that's the other thing. I will want to see you, and if there are that many other dancers and I won't give a shit about seeing any of them, it will make us look even more suspicious if I'm coming over to talk to you or if you are hanging out in my trailer. With all those extra dancers around, someone may see something if we let our guard down and they'll figure it out."

"I don't think it makes us more suspicious…people know we know each other, they believe that I was your dance trainer, so it would make sense that we might want to hang out if we have down time..."

"You realize you can't stay with me that week, right?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Emma said. "I know they put us in a hotel, but I figured I'd still crash with you…"

"I wish you could, but that's exactly my point. They are going to put you guys four to a room in a decent hotel, but they're going to cram as many of you into one room as they legally can to save money. If you had your own room, then it may not matter, but your roommates will notice if you're gone every night and every morning. They'll wonder where you're staying. And if we're ever seen coming into work together…"

"Oh…" Emma said, realizing Regina was right. "Okay, so I'll stay in the hotel with everyone else. That's not a big deal. But why does any of this even matter, Regina? The media knows that Robin and Gwen are together and that your marriage is only a few months from being legally dissolved. A few months ago you kept saying you didn't care what anyone thought, or who knew, and that you were done going out of your way to hide us from the public…that you were just going to be as you are. What changed?" Emma asked. When Regina didn't immediately respond, her own anxiety picked up. "Are you having second thoughts about this? About us?"

"Oh, Emma, God no," Regina reassured. "This has nothing to do with how I feel about you. Please know that. I am not having doubts about us."

"Okay, so what is it then? What changed?"

Regina let out an audible sigh, and even though Emma could not see her girlfriend, she could perfectly picture the disheartened look on her girlfriend's face. "There's been a lot of talk on set about contract renewals. Allegedly there will be a significant shakeup, and rumor has it they won't be asking everyone back next year…in fact, I think most people are on the chopping block. Ingrid has already renewed for another year, because they want to keep her and Hyde's character developing and pursuing that relationship. But, my storylines are winding down. There's a real chance that they won't offer me a new contract, and that was made even more clear tonight when Gold flat out threatened me. If we're made public, I don't think I'll get an offer. I just need this to stay private until those decisions are made and contracts are issued, which should be in March."

"Oh, wow, Regina…why didn't you say anything before?"

She shrugged, even though Emma couldn't see her. "It was mostly conjecture, although it was reliable speculation. I didn't want to worry you. And then when Gold pulled me aside tonight, reminding me that my off-set behavior is a factor in these decisions, and not-so-subtly reminding me that the studio and network is big on traditional family values, that really confirmed it… I think that's why I didn't take it well when I found out you'd be up here for an episode — the stress of the cast rumors has gotten to me, and I know Gold and the other producers and executives are watching me closely. There are too many ways this could go badly if we're on set together. And if people find out about us, I want to be the one to tell them, when I'm ready. Or I at least want to be in control of the message. I don't want to be outed by a fan or a dancing extra on set, you know?"

"I get it," Emma said. "But when I came to stay with you over the summer and you were talking about your contract with Robin and me, you kept saying that you might leave anyway after this year because of all the stipulations they put on you —"

"Yes, and that's still true. If they don't change their policies, then I would likely walk away. But that would be my decision to make, my choice to make a graceful exit. Even if the end result is the same, that feels much different than them flat out firing me and not offering me a renewal. It may also make a difference in terms of finding work in the future…how it gets portrayed in the media and spun online can make a difference. If they don't offer me a renewal, they can say I'm difficult to work with or whatever the hell they want, and it would be hard for me to counter that. Even if I said that I was fired because the studio was homophobic, they would deny it and just continue to say that I'm a disgruntled has-been. If I choose not to return on my own, I'll have the power. But if I can get them to keep me on the show and loosen the rules they place around our behavior and persona, then I'd be crazy to walk away from a successful show."

"Oh. That makes sense," Emma said. She could certainly understand where Regina was coming from. It was one of the reasons she left the ballet company in New York when she did — she knew she would continue to get offers to stay in the corps de ballet for another year or two, but ultimately she would age out of that role, and she knew she wasn't in a position to be promoted within the company. They would have inevitably given her spot to a fresh-faced 19 year old who would have the potential to move up the chain in the next few years. She left when Killian presented her the opportunity to launch their own modern company because she was able to be in control of her decision. She didn't wait for them to suddenly stop offering her a contract. "I'm surprised that Gold would let me get cast in this, though. If he's that worried about your image or about us, why would his casting director give me the part?"

"Apparently the casting director went a little off-script and didn't run everything by Gold. In true Gold fashion, though, he threatened to have you fired, but I was able to stop him from doing so."

"Why?"

"He was pissed that you were hired without his approval."

"No, not why did he want to fire me. I completely get that. Why did you stop him if you didn't want me to take the job?"

"Oh. Well, I didn't want you to blame me for it. He gave me an ultimatum, and I kowtowed to his request."

"Regina, you didn't have to do that for me."

"I know. But you do deserve the part, regardless of how I feel about it. I'm not going to let him fire you because of me."

"What did he make you do so that I would keep my part?"

"He deliberately changed the shooting schedule so that I have to be here the weekend of your debut performance," Regina said, quickly brushing away a tear that managed to fall.

"Oh," Emma replied.

"I'm sorry, Emma. You know I want nothing more than to be there."

"I know you do."

"But, he said if I don't show up to film that weekend as scheduled, you'll be fired and it pretty much guarantees that my contract won't be renewed. They could actually fire me immediately for that because it would be a breach of contract. By telling me today, he's within the window of notice the contract requires that they give us for modifying our vacation schedules."

"You made the right call, Regina."

"You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad, because it's not your fault. Am I disappointed that you'll miss my first performance with the company? Yes, of course. But there will be another show in the spring after you're done filming, and I don't doubt that Gold would fire both of us if you bailed on filming and showed up to my concert, so I understand. You can't control your shooting schedule."

"I'm still sorry, though. I really wanted to be there for you."

"I know. But, it's not like I won't have anyone in the audience...Killian is coming up, and Robin and Gwen are even going to try to come, along with some of the other bartenders I've been working with at his restaurants. It's probably a good thing anyway that you can't be there…if you were seen there that would pretty much confirm our relationship. There will be a lot of press at the show, and I'm sure some of your local fans will probably get tickets and come, half expecting you to be there and hoping to meet you. If you're not there, that might help kill any remaining speculation about us."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she chuckled.

They fell into a comfortable silence, both exhausted from the stress of the day. "So, are we okay?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, we are," Regina said. "I'm sorry for how I freaked out earlier. This is a great opportunity for you and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

"What about all the extra people on set and the fans who might see us?" Emma asked, testing to see if Regina really was fine with it.

"We'll just have to be careful and make it work."

"Okay, then."

"I think we should talk soon about how we want to go public, once the contracts are out and my divorce is finalized…

"Really?" Emma smiled.

"Yeah… we should decide if we want to make some sort of formal announcement or if we just want to say 'fuck it,' live our lives and stop hiding and stop making excuses and just let people figure it out until I bring you as my date to some public event. This is assuming that you want to go public, of course. I don't want to pressure you into anything, and I don't know where you stand in terms of your public image as your career moves forward…especially if being one of the lead dancers in the _Frozen Mirror_ musical episode moves you into the commercial space."

"I don't care about that…in dance our sexuality really doesn't matter anyway, but even if it did, I don't want to build a career pretending to be someone I'm not. I'm not ashamed of who I am."

"Ouch," Regina replied.

"Shit, Regina, that's not what I meant," Emma backpedaled. "It's different now than it was when you started, and you were a lot younger when you were breaking into the industry than I am now. I completely understand why you weren't open about being bi when you were 22 and just getting started."

"It's fine, Emma," Regina sighed, running a hand through her hair as she pulled back the sheets of her bed, more than ready to call it a night.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked, cursing herself.

"Yes, I'm sure," Regina said, trying to force herself to laugh so that Emma would relax. "It's been a long day though and I have an early call time tomorrow, so I should be getting some sleep."

Emma looked at the clock and realized just how late it was. "Shit, yeah, you need to go to bed…when will I see you next? I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Regina said, pulling the blankets over her body and tucking herself in. "And it may not be until the musical episode films. My schedule won't let me get back to Montréal at all before then. I don't have more than one day off in the next three weeks."

"Damn it," Emma sighed as she, too, prepared herself for bed. "This long distance thing sucks."

"Yes, it does," Regina confirmed. "The first day of filming isn't until February 5th, but you're welcome to come out as soon as your show is done and spend that week with me."

"I wish I could, but the dancers are doing most of our rehearsals here before they send us to Halifax for the actual filming. Our rehearsal schedule is insane. I might have a day or two between finishing rehearsal and having to be on set, but not any more than that."

"Well, even one or two days would be nice before they put you in the hotel."

"I'll see what I can do. If I can get up there early, I will."

"Okay, good," Regina said, turning off the sconce next to her bed. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight," Emma said, as she ended the call and turned off her bedside lamp. She let out a sigh and a few tears of frustration that had been threatening to fall all night finally did. She wiped them away with the pads of her finger as she closed her eyes, her cat Adagio almost immediately jumping up and curling up next to her to help comfort her in Regina's absence.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, they had their first real fight. Not quite an epic blowout, but enough to raise and air out some of the issues in their relationship. I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter (which I haven't started writing yet so it may be a little while before it's posted) will take place during the musical episode filming.


	7. The Making of a Musical

**A/N:** It just so happens the last few updates in this have been in real time (meaning the dates of the chapters are the posting dates). This wasn't necessarily intentional, but I like that it turned out that way. That said, that won't always be the case, because we have a lot of ground to cover and I don't want this to take forever :) Also, yikes, it's been exactly a month since my last update. Hopefully the next one won't take that long!

But for now, enjoy the musical episode shenanigans! It's not a super long update, but it covers the ground I wanted it to.

* * *

 ** _Sunday, February 11, 4pm._**

Regina was pissed. They were seven days into filming the _Frozen Mirror_ musical episode, and as expected, Robert Gold had been making her life a living hell now that Regina's girlfriend was on set as a featured dancer for the episode. But, Regina was taking everything he threw at her, grinning and bearing it, because that meant he left Emma alone. While Gold knew he couldn't really go after the blonde anyway, lest it look suspicious that the showrunner demonstrate such animosity toward a mere guest on the show, he still needed to direct his anger toward someone. Thus, he had focused his hatred of the couple on Regina, deliberately keeping her working for the maximum number of hours her contract would allow and purposely keeping her away from the stage and location shots where Emma would be. There were paparazzi and fans everywhere, not to mention more than 75 dancers and extras being brought in for the large musical numbers, who were themselves fans of the show. He couldn't risk a scandal.

So, Regina was pissed. Emma hadn't been able to come up to Halifax early, so the first time Regina had seen Emma in more than a month was on the first day of filming, and both of their schedules meant they had little free time. Emma was also stuck in a hotel room with three other dancers, so she couldn't sneak out to see Regina after hours. They had barely been able to say two words to each other on set, and Gold had made them both so paranoid that even when they did have a corresponding break between scenes, they were too afraid to be seen together at craft services. They ate their lunches on opposite sides of the studio, trying not to look at one another.

And, Regina was sexually frustrated, which wasn't helping her rage. She watched as the blonde walked around the soundstage in tight black leather leggings and one of the show's trademark corsets that made it impossible for Regina not to focus on her girlfriend's remarkable cleavage. They had four more days scheduled for filming, at which point Emma would no longer be employed by the show, no longer be required to stay in the little dancer hostel setup, and could instead go back to Regina's small apartment to spend 36 hours before Regina had to be back on set for the next episode. Regina couldn't wait. But until then, Regina had to take deep breaths and try to focus on anything other than her hot girlfriend who she wasn't allowed to talk to.

"What are you doing?" Zelena asked as she walked up to Regina, noticing the brunette sitting in her chair with her eyes closed and exhaling loudly.

"Meditating," Regina huffed. "Or, I was trying to until you came over."

"Why?" Zelena crunched her face in confusion. "Since when do you meditate?"

"Since always. It helps me get in the headspace to film. So shhhhh."

The redhead shrugged and walked away, leaving the brunette to sigh when she couldn't regain her focus. She gave up and opened her eyes, deciding that she may as well enjoy the sight before her, and if anyone caught her staring, she could just say she's studying the scene and preparing to make her grand entrance. It was one of their two scenes together, no doubt a demand from Gold that they have as little on-screen time together as possible. Mary-Margaret's character had been attacked by Regina, putting the petite brunette into a coma, during which the woman would have an elaborate dream ballet sequence. It required Regina to be even more villainous than her usual demonic character was, which also meant she was in an extra-seductive black leather costume, with hints of red throughout. At least that meant that Emma was probably feeling just as frustrated as Regina, and that made the brunette feel a little bit better — at least she wasn't alone in her suffering. While she sat and watched the first part of the scene film, she couldn't help but think for a show that allegedly touts family values to the extent that they're forbidden from having same-sex relationships on screen (and off-screen), there were a lot of underworld demons and scandalous outfits. The irony was not lost on her.

Regina sighed as the director called "Cut! Take 10," and the cast walked off the soundstage as they reset for the next scene. She watched Emma walk by her, their eyes connecting briefly before Emma was pulled into conversation by Mary-Margaret as they walked to get coffee in the back of the room. "You, know," a voice startled her, "you are allowed to talk to her."

"Hey, Lily," Regina said, seeing her girlfriend's friend walk up to her. Lily had been one of the first people to know the truth about Regina and Emma's relationship, as she figured it out almost immediately after seeing the two women together back when Emma had been vacationing in Montréal before joining the company. Since then, she had been extremely supportive and done her best to help cover them when they all went out together. And as assistant director of the dance company, Lily had managed to set up a private livestream of their first performance of the season two weekends ago, after Gold had forced Regina to miss it in order to finish filming the previous episode. Regina had been livid then, too, because she had only been needed for less than 10 minutes of on-screen time, which equated to a lot of sitting around in her trailer waiting to be called to set. At least she had been able to watch the show thanks to Lily's livestream, and she was even able to Facetime with Emma during intermission. Regina was glad Lily had been cast in the musical episode, too. It was nice to have another familiar dancer on set…one she was actually allowed to speak to.

"Everyone knows you guys are friends. I think it's actually more weird that you're purposely avoiding each other. It makes it look like you have something to hide, you know?" Lily pointed out.

Regina's eyes widened. "Wait, are people talking?"

The younger brunette shrugged. "Not to the point of spreading rumors, but a few people have said things. Mainly," she said, nodding her head toward the corner where Emma and Mary-Margaret were chatting, "people think it's strange that you and Emma know each other, yet she's been hanging out with Mary-Margaret, David, and Graham. Most of the dancers and extras are afraid to talk to any of the cast, which I get because you guys are the stars and we're random extra bodies for a few days, but Emma seems to fit right in with everyone. Except you, the woman who she allegedly helped prepare for this entire episode and has been seen hanging out for the past seven months. You're either hiding something, or in an epic fight that seems a bit extreme for someone claiming to be casual friends and dance coach/dance student. Neither of those options would look good…"

"Shit," Regina sighed. "I never thought of that. Thanks, Lily."

"No problem. And if either of you need me to run interference with anything, let me know. I know Emma is dying to get some alone time with you, and I imagine you probably are, too," she winked.

"Oh, you have no idea," Regina laughed. "And thanks, I appreciate that offer, but she and I both know nothing can happen this week."

"Well, my offer stands. Good luck," Lily replied before heading off to get dressed and ready for her next scene.

Regina realized that Lily was right. There were plenty of dancers and extras around in this particular scene, so it was a good time to talk with Emma and help dispel any rumors that might have been forming. She got up from her chair and walked over to the corner of the room, greeting Mary-Margaret and Emma. "The scene looks great so far," she commented. "I caught part of it on the monitor and it looks incredible."

"Thanks, Regina," Mary-Margaret replied. "I was just telling Emma how impressed I am with her work. I hadn't seen her dance before this week, and today is especially impressive. I'd love to see her perform with her company sometime."

The blonde smiled graciously. "Thank you, Mary-Margaret. Everyone here is amazing."

Regina bit back a smile. Mary-Margaret was right — Emma had been amazing all week, as she always was, but the scene they were currently shooting required an extreme amount of athleticism. Regina had even had to turn away a few times, as they had been filming with aerial apparatuses earlier and while mesmerizing, it was also horrifying. Emma had assured her she was well-trained and nothing she was doing was particularly dangerous, but watching her girlfriend climb and drop from silk fabric 40 feet up in the air was terrifying.

"Oh, excuse me for a second," Mary-Margaret said before flitting off to talk with her husband, who just appeared on set.

"Hey," Regina said when they were finally alone. "We need to talk."

"What's going on?" Emma asked, clearly concerned.

Regina lowered her voice. "We can't keep avoiding each other. Lily said people are starting to comment that it's weird."

"Oh," Emma frowned. "I figured it would be better."

"Me, too, but apparently people think it's weird that you and I are supposedly friends, and yet you're hanging out with everyone in the cast except me."

"Ah," Emma nodded. "I didn't think of that."

"Neither did I."

"Okay, so we'll make sure people see us talking together a few times. That should help, right?"

"Right," Regina said, trying her best to make sure her eyes stayed on Emma's and didn't drift down her body.

"Okay. But you can't stare at me like that if you don't want people to know about us," the blonde scolded half-heartedly.

"Have you seen you? I don't think there's anyone here who hasn't noticed you…gay or straight, man or woman. You look hot," she whispered before grabbing a coffee off the table. "I can't wait until this week is over…four more days," she mumbled as she walked away, leaving the blonde to laugh and shake her head.

* * *

 ** _Monday, February 12, 7pm_**

"Regina, what are you—" Emma's words were cut off when the brunette pulled the door to her trailer shut and slammed Emma against it. Regina had Emma pinned between her own body and the door, quickly slipping a thigh between the blonde's and pressing into her as she kissed her. "Not that I'm complaining, but isn't this a little risky?" Emma breathily asked when Regina moved her attention from her lips to the column of her neck.

"Couldn't wait three more days," she said between kisses. "It's been too long. And watching you parade around in that costume the last two days has been killing me."

"Oh, well in that case," the blonde smirked down at her girlfriend and pushed her up the three stairs leading into the main area of the trailer, toward the small sofa along the wall. As the brunette's knees hit the cushions and she fell into the seat, Emma quickly straddled her. "Carry on."

Regina didn't need to be told twice, and she quickly resumed her work on the blonde's neck. Emma had already changed back into her street clothes to head out for the night and had been walking past Regina's trailer when the brunette spotted her. Regina still had one more scene to shoot in two hours, so she had been hanging out in her trailer to kill time before she had to go back into hair and makeup. But, costume or not, she missed her girlfriend and couldn't wait any longer. She hastily removed Emma's leather jacket and sweater, leaving the blonde in nothing but her navy blue lace bralette and her jeans. Regina wrapped her hands around her girlfriend's ass, pulling her closer as she kissed her way down the blonde's collarbone.

"Fuck, I've missed this," Emma said as she let her head fall back as Regina's tongue flicked across her chest, moving the delicate lace fabric out of the way.

"I've missed you," Regina hummed into her, sighing when Emma's fingers ran through her hair and pressed into her. She kept one hand on the woman's hips and snuck the other around to her abdomen, quickly unbuttoning and unzipping Emma's jeans to give her more access.

"Regina — oh my God!"

Emma and Regina paused and stared at each other in fear as they heard the voice behind them. Regina immediately let go of her hold on the blonde, and Emma readjusted her bra so she was fully covered, or as much as she could be given that her sweater and jacket were thrown halfway across the room.

"Mary-Margaret…" Regina started, looking between the startled woman standing in the doorway and her girlfriend still astride her lap. She tapped Emma's leg to remind the woman to dismount, which she promptly did as she rebuttoned her jeans.

"Holy shit! I knew it," Mary-Margaret shook her head, finally having the good sense to close the door of the trailer, which was still open behind her. "And don't even tell me that you're helping Emma prepare for some lesbian part in a friend's film. I'm not buying that excuse again," she said, referring back to the heated makeout session she caught the two women engaged in eight months before on a hotel balcony at Comic-Con.

"I won't," Regina said, looking sheepish. "Frankly, I'm surprised you bought it back then. You're so gullible."

Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes. "So this has been going on since then? Oh my God, is that why you and Robin split up?"

Regina shook her head. "No, Emma is not why we got divorced. Like I told you then, there's a lot about Robin and me that you don't know, and it's between us. But, no one cheated, we're all on good terms, et cetera et cetera," Regina replied. She had told this story to her friends so many times over the past few months as she and Emma gradually told more of the important people in their lives about their relationship. She had the tale down to a science.

"Well, I think it's great," Mary-Margaret smiled. "But, Regina, be careful. You know how Gold and the network are. If he finds out…"

"Oh, I know. And he knows, unfortunately, and has since August. That's a whole other story I'll tell you in a few years when I never have to talk to him again," Regina sighed. "Now, can I trust that you'll keep this quiet? Or, at least only tell your husband? I know you can't keep secrets from him."

"Fine, but Regina, if Gold knows, what's the harm in the rest of the cast knowing? You know everyone would support you. No one would have a problem with it…"

"Because you were so understanding that night on the balcony?" Regina bit back. Her costar had made some hurtful accusations that night.

Mary-Margaret winced. "Okay, yeah, I may not have handled that well. But I didn't freak out on you just now, did I? No. I just thought you were cheating on Robin back then. But you're not, so I don't care."

"I do believe you said something about me putting the entire cast's livelihoods at risk that night, thinking that me kissing Emma would lead to the entire show being cancelled…and I realize that the uptight network people might do something stupid, which is why I'm not saying anything and we're being careful until after the contracts go out and we know the show will be back for a ninth season," Regina explained. "And I will tell everyone else, eventually. I just figure the fewer people who know, the less likely it will be that rumors start spreading or something accidentally slips out in a con panel or press interview. You know if Zelena knew, she would be doing press for the musical episode and somehow manage to say something like, 'Oh, yes, and Regina's girlfriend is a dancer in this episode, too. Oh, oopsies!' " Regina mocked, nailing Zelena's British accent.

"Yeah, you're right about that, actually," Mary-Margaret nodded.

"So, that's why we're keeping this quiet for awhile. So, do I have your word that you won't say anything?"

"Of course, Regina…you can trust me."

"Thank you."

"But, you may want to find somewhere besides your trailer to have a quickie if you don't want people to know…or at least lock your door."

"Noted. Now, get out," Regina demanded.

"Yes, ma'am." The petite brunette bowed slightly, perhaps a reflex left over from her character often bowing to Regina's "Queen of the Damned," and backed out of the trailer.

As soon as the woman closed the door behind her, Regina ran over and locked it, heeding Mary-Margaret's advice. "Now," she said, turning back to her girlfriend and smirking, "where were we?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Next up - Regina signs the divorce papers to finalize her split from Robin (yay!), and rumors start circulating in the public. (Hmm...can MM not keep a secret in this verse? We know her canonverse self isn't the most reliable in that regard. Or have they not been as stealthy as they think? So many possibilities.) Also, their official "coming out" will happen 2-3 chapters from now, so we're getting close! And I've had the way it will happen decided since about halfway through the first sequel, so I hope you'll like it!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed :)


	8. The End of a Marriage

**A/N:** I was going to wait until later this week to post it, but it's finished so why delay? I changed it to match today's date instead of Thursday's, so here's an early update. It's short, but sweet, and I didn't want to skip the events of this chapter entirely just because it's a short update. Also, special shoutout to the guest/anon reviewer who found this story verse from my _Home for the Holidays_ fic, binge read _ASE_ and _AME_ to catch up, and reviewed this fic this morning asking for an update soon. Your wish is my command!

* * *

 ** _Monday, March 5: 4:40pm._**

"How do you feel?" Emma asked Regina as she gently squeezed her hand in the elevator.

"Honestly?" she asked, looking over at her girlfriend. "I'm not sure. It's weird." She used her free hand to take off the scarf wrapped around her neck and remove the large sunglasses obscuring her face, now that they were behind closed doors. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Of course," Emma nodded.

They waited patiently as the elevator chimed, announcing its arrival on the third floor of the courthouse, and the pair dropped their hands as they stepped off the elevator. As promised, the halls were empty, and for that Regina was grateful as they walked down the long hallway, her stiletto heels echoing with each step she took. She and Robin had kept their divorce date a secret from everyone else (and why wouldn't they, as it's not something anyone would advertise on a Twitter status. Despite the popularity of the "divorce selfie" among happily separating couples, they would be forgoing that strange new social media trend.). They had intentionally planned to meet at the very end of the business day to minimize the chances of running into anyone who might recognize the divorcing duo. Even though the city courthouse wasn't a hotbed for adoring fans, they didn't want to take any chances. The judge for their case was an old law school friend of Victoria Belfrey, Regina's attorney, and as such he had agreed to meet with them after the close of business hours, given the relatively high-profile nature of their case. He also didn't mind since it was a straightforward, amicable divorce — all he needed to do was quickly read through the divorce draft agreement, and then sign his name to formally dissolve the Mills-Locksley marriage. He would still be able to make it to the bar in time for happy hour after a long week on the bench.

"Hey," Robin said, standing up from the chair he was seated in outside the judge's chambers as he saw the two women approach.

"Hi," Regina said shyly, taking a deep breath as she looked around and noted the absence of the woman she expected to be by his side. "Where's Gwen?"

"She had her 38-week checkup yesterday, and the doctor put her on bedrest. She was having Braxton Hicks contractions, and so he thought that might help," Robin explained.

"Oh, is she okay?" Emma asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he smiled. "She's just uncomfortable at this point. I think she's ready for the baby to get here."

"And are you?" Regina asked with a brow raised.

"I can't wait. I haven't had to raise a girl before so it'll be new territory, but I'm excited," he beamed, causing Emma and Regina to smile in response.

"So," Regina said as she exhaled. "Ready? Victoria texted me and said she's already in the office catching up with her old friend. She said we could go in whenever we got here."

"Yeah. Tucker just went to find a restroom, but he should be back in a second," Robin said, referring to his own attorney. "We can go on in now, though."

Even though their split was amicable, both Robin and Regina still retained legal counsel, just to ensure that they weren't setting themselves up for any issues. Fortunately, everything seemed to be straightforward, especially given their prenuptial agreement. After all, they had known this day was inevitable before they ever said "I do." Neither lawyer knew the truth about their marriage, as what they had done wasn't entirely legal, and informing their lawyers of it could cause problems. As far as Victoria Belfrey and Tucker Friar were concerned, Regina and Robin were just a couple whose love fizzled out over time.

Robin knocked once on the judge's door, opening it after he heard the voice granting permission to enter from the other side. He held it open as he gestured for Emma and Regina to enter first. The office was larger than Regina expected it to be. A large cherry wood desk was placed in the middle of the room, behind which the older gentleman sat reviewing the document before him. "You must be Regina and Robin," he said, standing up and shaking their hands. "Please," he gestured for the couple to sit in the two seats directly in front of his desk, while Victoria, Emma, and Robin's lawyer, who had just entered the room, sat slightly behind and on either side of the couple. Both attorneys had already reviewed the document Regina and Robin drafted, so there wasn't much for them to do except observe the proceedings and interject in case of any unexpected surprises.

After confirming that their draft appeared to be in order, the judge quickly ran through his checklist of questions to ensure that they had indeed been separated for one year (which wasn't entirely accurate, but it was close enough, considering that Regina's work schedule had kept them apart for a substantial amount of time leading up to their decision to divorce). He also wanted to make sure Regina and Robin fully understood the terms of the divorce and were in agreement, especially about the issue of custody. They had agreed that Robin would retain custody of the boys, given that they lived with him anyway when she was filming in Nova Scotia. When she was on breaks from filming and back in Montréal, they would share custody, with Regina getting the boys every other weekend and one night per week. Robin had said that he would be happy to let them stay with her more often if she wanted, especially if she was only in town for a short period of time and it didn't match up with one of her weekends. Regina wasn't concerned by the arrangement, as she trusted Robin to let her see them. Legally, she had adopted them, and Robin promised that he wouldn't keep her from Roland and Henry.

Both Robin and Regina nodded their understanding of the terms, and the judge slid the document across the desk toward the couple and held out a pen to Robin. He handed it Regina, saying "ladies first," as she rolled her eyes and signed her name in the designated spot before handing it back to Robin. He signed as well and gave the document back to the judge.

"Okay. You're all set," the judge said as he quickly ran the document through his scanner and printed out two copies, along with a copy of the divorce certificate. "These are for your records, but there will be a copy on file here as well in case you misplace it and need another copy in the future."

"That's it?" Regina asked incredulously as she put the paperwork into a manila folder. She knew it would be quick, but she didn't expect it to take less than five minutes to end a five-year marriage.

"That's it," he confirmed, pushing back his chair and rising from his seat. "It doesn't take long when everyone is in agreement." He extended his hand as Robin and Regina each stood up, thanking him for his services.

Victoria ushered everyone out of the judge's chambers and into the empty hallway. "Well, I would say 'Congratulations,' but that seems a bit morose," she stated as she turned to face Regina.

"Thank you for your help, Victoria," Regina said as she shook her lawyer's hand.

"Of course, Regina. Let me know if you need anything else. Have a lovely weekend. Enjoy your newfound freedom" she said, appraising Emma suspiciously before she walked down the hall, followed shortly thereafter by Robin's lawyer.

"Thank you, Robin," Regina said when the lawyers were out of earshot.

"For what?"

"For everything over the past six years," she said, wiping her eyes in hopes to prevent the tear that was threatening to fall. It may have never been a real marriage, and she was excited and relieved to move on with her life with Emma alongside her, but it was still emotional.

"It's not like it was a hardship for me, Regina," he said as the trio walked slowly toward the elevator. He was about to say something more when his phone vibrated in his pocket. His eyes went wide as he looked down at the screen. "Oh my God."

"What is it?" Regina asked.

"Gwen's water just broke. I've gotta go." He hit the elevator call button several more times, as though it would suddenly make it appear faster.

Emma and Regina chuckled, and then Emma pointed out the sign for the staircase next to them. "That might be faster," she mentioned.

"Ah, right." Robin quickly kissed Regina's cheek and then Emma's as he darted past them toward the exit sign. "See you later."

"We expect pictures!" Regina called out after him, laughing as he ran through the door.

"Wow, I can't believe she's having her baby already," Emma said as the doors to the elevator opened a moment later and they stepped inside.

"I know. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were all sitting around in Robin's living room trying to figure out what to do," Regina said, leaning back against the wall of the elevator.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked as she moved closer to Regina.

Regina sent her a small smile as she reached for her hand. "I'm better than okay. Thank you for being so understanding about all of this. You've been a saint," she said as she intertwined their fingers. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Emma replied as the doors opened and they stepped out into the deserted lobby. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well, I would say we could stop by the marriage license office, but they've already closed for the day…" Regina started.

"WHAT?!" Emma looked over and let go of Regina's hand, her eyes wide as she started to panic.

Regina laughed. "Totally kidding."

"Jesus," Emma said, placing one hand on her chest as she lightly smacked Regina's shoulder with the back of her other hand. "Don't do that."

"You should have seen your face," Regina smiled as she walked toward the large doors at the front of the courthouse. "It was priceless."

Emma shook her head as she jogged to catch up to her girlfriend. "You're such a bitch," she accused, but without any malice.

"I know, but you love me."

"I do."

"Well, look who just said 'I do,' " Regina grinned victoriously.

"You know, I think it's probably bad form to joke about getting married on the same day as your divorce."

"Yeah you're probably right," Regina said as they got into her Mercedes that was parked at a meter out front. "So, how about dinner, then? I'm starving."

"Thai takeout?" Emma asked hopefully. She had quickly developed a constant craving for the Thai restaurant Regina ordered from on the night she first took Emma to her condo.

"Sure," Regina smiled. "And then we can watch the musical episode."

"It doesn't air for another two weeks," Emma pointed out as they drove toward the restaurant. Emma looked down at her phone, where she had pulled up the online ordering app for the restaurant, hoping that it would expedite the process and it would be ready by the time they navigated through the rush hour traffic. "Pad thai?"

"Yes please," Regina confirmed. "And it doesn't air until then, but I may have accidentally borrowed a preview copy from the production office," Regina casually explained.

"Seriously?"

"Yep. It's in my suitcase back home."

"You rebel."

* * *

 **A/N:** I know a lot of people have been waiting for this moment, so I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter is nearly done, too, and will be up next week :) I'm super excited about the next few chapters, so I hope you will be, too. Have a great week, enjoy this week's OUAT episode, and check back next week for the next chapter (most likely Thursday, unless I decide to post ahead of schedule).


	9. Speculation

**A/N:** Posting a day early in the timeline, just because :) Enjoy some fluff!

* * *

 ** _Thursday, March 15, 3:30pm_**

"Emma, I love your girlfriend," Lily said as she saw the blonde walk into the office of the studio.

"Yeah, you and about 2.1 million other people, if her Instagram follower count is anything to go by," Emma replied as she plopped down ungracefully onto the couch. They had just finished rehearsing their pas-de-trois, and Emma had an hour and a half before she had to teach her youth jazz class. Most days she ended up napping in the studio's office when she had to teach after rehearsal, which was her plan that afternoon.

"Yeah, but I seriously love her."

"What? Why?" she asked as she dug around in her bag for a protein bar.

"Because of this." Lily tossed an issue of _Celeb! Weekly_ to Emma, hitting her in the thigh with the glorified tabloid.

"Ugh, paparazzi," she complained, noting a small thumbnail image of Regina in the lower right corner. The brunette had a green smoothie in one hand and a takeout bag from her favorite burger joint in Halifax in the other as she walked down the street. The picture was accompanied with the caption: _Is newly-single Regina 'Queen of the Damned' Mills leaving_ Frozen Mirror _for a career in musical theater?_ _See p. 29._

"Yeah, yeah, they're invasive and they suck," Lily said. "But, look at what she's wearing in that photo, and then look at the article."

Emma looked closer and noted that Regina was wearing the dance company baseball cap she had stolen from Emma the day the blonde signed her contract with Danse Theatre Montréal. The brunette had kept it ever since. Emma couldn't help but smile when she made that realization. She turned to page 29 to see the article, and there were four more candid paparazzi photographs taken on various days. "Man, they are relentless," Emma commented as her eyes skimmed across the pictures.

"They're paparazzi in Halifax…I doubt they have much else to do except keep tabs on the cast. It's not like the town is riddled with celebrities," Lily pointed out. "Now, keep reading."

Emma obliged and turned her attention back to the magazine, smiling yet again when she noticed Regina's apparel. In one of the other images, she was wearing a tank top with the Danse Theatre Montréal name emblazoned on her chest, along with yoga leggings sporting the EmKi Dance Collective's logo down the length of her right leg as she left a pilates studio Halifax. "I knew it!" Emma growled. "She's so dead."

"What?" Lily asked, confused.

"She stole my leggings. She said she hadn't seen them when I asked her if I left them in Halifax after we were done shooting the musical," Emma replied, referring to her favorite leggings from her company that she still ran with Killian back in Maine.

Lily rolled her eyes as she went back to eating her salad. "If clothing theft is the biggest issue in your relationship, then you guys have nothing to worry about."

Emma shrugged as she decided to read the full article: _Regina Mills, star of the hit dystopian TV series_ Frozen Mirror _was all smiles as she left Halifax Burgers and Shakes on Friday, just five days after her divorce from successful Montréal restaurateur Robin Locksley was finalized, according to public record documents obtained by_ Celeb! Weekly. _The next morning, she was looking radiant as she left Pilates First fitness studio early on Saturday. It appears her newfound single status is agreeing with her!_

Emma rolled her eyes, but continued reading:

 _This week the network confirmed that_ Frozen Mirror _will be returning next fall for the show's ninth season. But, rumor has it that producers and the network executives are planning a cast shakeup for the upcoming season, according to an inside source on set. It sounds like some of our favorites may not be returning, and at time of publication, only star Ingrid Snow and her new on-screen love interest Hyde Jackson have signed on for the new season. Our source tells us that Regina shined on set during the filming of the show's upcoming musical episode, stealing every scene she was in during filming._

Emma smiled, as she had to agree with the anonymous source's assessment. Regina was amazing, and the bootleg copy they watched while Regina was in town to finalize the divorce proved it.

 _The source hints that Regina has been contemplating leaving the show, possibly to pursue opportunities in musical theater. Even Ms. Mills' own Instagram posts have confirmed that she's been working with a private dance coach since last summer, who happens to be affiliated with the two dance companies seen advertised in Regina's recent apparel choices. Could she be preparing for a major change in venue for the next phase in her career? I guess we'll find out this weekend when_ Frozen Mirror _airs its highly-anticipated musical episode if Regina Mills has the chops for a career on Broadway._

"Interesting article, eh?" Lily stated when she saw Emma toss the magazine aside.

"Well, it's all total bullshit, as far as I know. I have no idea who this 'inside source' is, but Regina is definitely not planning on going to Broadway. But, hello free publicity for us," Emma said.

"Yeah, no kidding. The issue has only been out for two days and our phones have already blown up with inquiries about open teen and adult classes. They think Regina takes classes here, and they're hoping to drop in for class and run into her," Lily explained.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Wow. Remind me to tell her never to come here. She'll get hounded."

"Probably not a bad idea. Also, we're receiving a lot of calls asking if you teach teen and adult classes…they probably assume that Regina would be most likely to take one of your classes, given that they think you're her coach."

"Ugh."

 ***.*.***

Emma stepped out of the shower and hastily threw on a pair of sweats and zipped up a hoodie when she heard her phone ringing in the bedroom. She smiled when she saw Regina's name on the screen. "Hey, babe," she said as she sat down on the bed, pulling her feet up underneath her to help warm up. It was chilly in the apartment, a side effect of vintage buildings in Canadian winters, and her still-wet hair wasn't helping matters. She grabbed the striped Pendleton blanket from the end of the bed and pulled it over her lap. She chuckled when she realized Adagio had been napping underneath the blanket, and the feline sent her an evil glare after losing the warmth the wool textile provided.

"Hey. How are you?" Regina asked as she, too, settled in for the evening at her small apartment in Halifax.

"I'm good. I miss you, though."

"I miss you, too. But, I'll be there tomorrow night."

"Are you still thinking you'll make the earlier flight?"

"I think so. I'm scheduled to be done around noon, so even if we run over, as long as I get out of there by 1:30, I can still make the afternoon flight. Even if I don't, I'll take my normal flight and be at your place by 10. But, hopefully I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Good. I'm bartending the lunch shift at the bistro tomorrow, but I get done at 6. If you get in earlier than that, I'm sure Robin won't mind if I duck out a little early. There isn't a happy hour deal on Fridays, so it shouldn't be too packed at that time."

"Sounds good. Will you pick up dinner while you're there, regardless? I've been craving his croque monsieur for ages."

"That sounds dirty," Emma laughed and made a face. "But, I suppose I can do that. Any regrets about divorcing him and his delicious French sandwiches?"

"God no. Besides, this way I still get the sandwiches and I get you. Win-win."

"Good answer," Emma said. "Speaking of the divorce, have you seen the most recent issue of _Celeb! Weekly_?"

"You know I avoid reading anything other than _People_. Everything else is complete trash," she said. She paused briefly before continuing, her curiosity getting the best of her. "But, what did it say?"

"Not much. Just pointing out that your divorce was finalized last week, rumors about the cast shakeup on the show, and apparently that you're secretly planning an escape from TV to go be a star on Broadway."

"Oh good lord." Emma could practically hear Regina's eye roll through the phone.

"And, Lily wanted me to thank you for wearing our company's apparel out in public so the paparazzi could capture it and give us free publicity…and nice leggings, by the way," Emma continued, causing Regina to chuckle.

"Yeah, the fans noticed that, too. I was tagged in some photos on Instagram but I had no idea where they came from. I thought a fan took them when I was heading home that day. I didn't realize it was in a tabloid."

"I turned off my photo tags, so I haven't been paying attention to what fans are posting. Are they causing any problems for you?"

"Not any more than usual. Gold hasn't seen it yet, I guess. The fans of course are eating it up, and now that my divorce is final, it does add more 'evidence' to their theories about us. Half of them think we're doing each other, and the other half just think that I'm going to try to make it as a dancer now. I was wondering why they would think that, but I guess if they read it in _Celeb! Weekly_ , that explains it."

"The magazine also said that some inside source said you were amazing and steal the show in the musical."

"Well, that I'll happily believe," Regina laughed. "Speaking of the cast rumors, they offered me a contract this morning for next season."

"Oh, that's great!" Emma said as she shifted over slightly to accommodate the angry tabby cat that crawled into her lap, searching for the blanket. "Are you going to sign it?"

Regina sighed. "I'm not sure yet. Not as it currently is written, no."

"Oh?"

"Well for one thing, they're not offering me a raise, and I know for a fact that Ingrid was offered more money this year when she signed on for the next season. I'm not about to let her out-earn me."

"Good for you," Emma stated. "You two carry that show and should get paid the same."

"Well, that I can easily negotiate. What may be more challenging is that they made the morality clause even tighter than it was before."

"You're kidding me."

"I wish I was. It's ridiculous."

"What does it say?"

"Well, it explicitly says that I cannot 'actively promote' shipping my character with Ingrid's. I asked her if she had a similar clause and she said yes. She's annoyed by it too, but with her character now paired up with Hyde's character, she probably won't get as many fan questions about it. Now that my character is single again after the disastrous end of the love triangle with Graham and Daniel's characters, I know I'll get a lot of questions about Ingrid."

"What does that even mean, though? You can't control what fans ask you at cons."

"No, but they have a list of appropriate canned responses, and I'm no longer allowed to tweet or say that I support all ships. I'm only supposed to explicitly support the canon ships. And, they don't want us signing fan photo edits of non-canon ships, either. It's going to piss off a lot of fans."

"That's bullshit."

"It really is," she sighed. "If they want to do that, then they need to be the ones setting the rules and making sure the conventions include that disclaimer in their package sales. Otherwise, I'd look like a total bitch if I refuse to sign something. I very rarely have refused to sign things in the past, because I like to encourage creativity. I just won't sign anything if it's truly pornographic, but the screencap manipulations fans put together of Ingrid and me have never bothered me, and she doesn't care, either. But, they want us to refuse to sign it, because even though the studio is totally homophobic, it doesn't want to appear that way. They want to shift the blame to us and make it seem like we're suddenly uncomfortable with it."

"You're not considering agreeing to that, are you?" Emma asked. If Regina agreed to that, then God only knows what else she would agree to and how it would impact their relationship.

"Hell no. I already told them that I'm not going to ignore, or worse yet speak out against, one of the strongest group of fans on the show. It's not going to happen. I wholeheartedly support that ship. Hell, if I wasn't on the show and was just a viewer, I would ship it, too."

"What did they say to that?"

"They said they would think about it and try to work out a statement that I would be agreeable to. But that's not even the worst of it…"

"Oh, God. What else?"

"Now that I'm divorced, they want to write it into my contract that I will show up to all show, studio, or network-sponsored events with a male date. I'm not even allowed to go stag."

"Gross. Can they even do that? That seems invasive."

"I don't know. I sent the contract to Victoria to look over. The studio has brilliant lawyers, though, so I doubt there's anything that's against the law in there. They always find some loophole so it doesn't get classified as discrimination. But, I'm hoping she can find something that will bring them down and give me ammunition to fight against it. They made Ingrid sign a similar thing as well, since she's single. And, they made her agree to never go to a lesbian-themed establishment while she works on the show, after that whole fiasco last summer with her friend's bachelorette party. They want me to agree to the same. And that I'm not to be seen in public in any situation that may be construed as a romantic event with another woman."

"Jesus."

"Yep."

"So…"

"Fuck them. I'm not signing it. Not like that. If they want me, they have to get rid of everything. They've owned me long enough, and I'm not going to let them continue dictating my personal life."

Emma couldn't help but smile. "You're amazing, Regina."

"Thanks, but I don't feel like I am. I never should have let them control me like this in the first place," she sighed. "If I would have had the strength to stand up to them back when they started slowly adding all these clauses into my contract, I could have avoided this whole thing. But, I was desperate for the job back then, and it was a great role. And I didn't know that I would ever be interested in being involved with a woman again…I truly thought the thing with Mal was a one-time thing, so it didn't seem like a big deal. It seemed like a small price to pay for an amazing opportunity."

"Yeah, but you're standing up to them now, and that's what matters," Emma said. "And, even though it sucks that they did that to you, it wasn't all bad. If it weren't for Gold's manipulation of your contract and personal life, you wouldn't have Henry and Roland. And you wouldn't have Robin."

"That's true. I wouldn't trade the boys for anything, or my friendship with Robin, even if it was all under false pretenses and orchestrated by other people," Regina conceded. It was a small silver lining to an otherwise horrible position.

"When do you have to sign the contract by?" Emma asked.

"They want all negotiations and finalized signatures by the end of next month. Upfronts are in mid-May, so they want the finalized cast in place by then, especially since a few of us would need to attend."

"Oh, good. That gives you some time, then, to figure things out."

"Yeah…"

"Regina, what's going on?" Emma asked, sensing that there was more to the story.

"I just don't know what to do. This is maybe the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life."

"If they would remove those stipulations from your contract, would you want to come back?"

"I think so. It's risky, because the show has been on for eight years. The writing is still mostly strong, but it has hit some bumps along the way. I did ask them what the plan is for next year, and they have a really interesting character arc planned for me. I'd like to see it play out. And, I don't know what I would do if I weren't on the show, you know? I've already missed pilot season, because Gold and Company kept me particularly busy through the typical audition period. He made it impossible for me to go to anything in-person, and I was too exhausted to film something myself to send it in. But at the same time, I've been playing this same woman for eight years. I feel ready to do something else, creatively."

"It sounds like there's a lot to think about. But, you're amazing, Regina. Even if you decide to leave, you'll find something else. You're so talented."

"I love you," Regina said.

"I love you, too. Now, get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will, and then it'll only be a few more weeks until you're stuck with me for a longer period of time."

"I know. What if I get sick of you?" Emma joked.

"You might. But, I'm just excited that this is the last short trip I have to make out there. After this visit, I just have two more weeks of filming and then we're done for the season. I'll get to be in Montréal full-time until I have to go on the convention tour at the end of April, and I'll only be in Europe for 10 days before I'm back. Then you'll be stuck with me for almost the entire summer, except a few random conventions here and there."

"I wish I could go with you to Paris and Rome."

"I know…me, too. And eventually you will. But I totally get that you have rehearsal for your show. And this time I'll actually be able to go see you. Gold can't change my schedule and make me miss it this time."

"You're going to make me nervous."

"What? Why? I've watched you dance before."

"I know, but I didn't know you were there. If I remember correctly, you didn't even buy a ticket and just snuck in at intermission," Emma teased.

"Damn right I did."

"But this time, I'll know you're there. And Killian will be, too. So much pressure."

"You'll be great, Emma. You always are."

"Thanks," she replied shyly.

"Okay, I really should go to bed. I have to be on set at 5 A.M tomorrow morning. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Can't wait. Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma."

* * *

 **A/N:** The next chapter will reveal Regina's official coming out plans...it will likely take me awhile to finish writing it, because it will probably be long (or broken up into several chapters). I also need to update _Second Chances and Silver Linings_ , since that story is quickly wrapping up and I need to finish it. I hope you enjoyed this update!


	10. The Contest and Coming Out

**A/N:** I was planning on waiting until Friday to post this, but I was too excited. As promised, here is the moment that I know many of you have been waiting for since the end of the first fic in this series and these two crazy kids got together. This is what I've had planned from the beginning, and it might contain one of my favorite moments in this entire fic verse, so I hope you like it! It's also on the longer side, and posted long before the date where it actually takes place, but if I did everything in real time this might take years to finish :P. We'll start moving quite quickly from this point on. As a reminder, FF doesn't let us use the "at" symbol in chapters, so when references are made to social media handles in all my fics, they're always in a single quote (e.g. 'ReginaMills').

* * *

 ** _Friday, April 19, 8am._ **

"So, this is where the magic happens, eh Swan?" Killian asked as he followed Emma into the dance studio.

"Indeed it is," she laughed as she led him to the large studio in the back of the building. It was early on Friday morning, and the Danse Theatre Montréal company dancers had the day off, giving them a long weekend. Lily and Emma were taking advantage of the empty space for a special side project, which Emma had recruited Killian to join. He had flown into Montréal from Maine the night before and would be staying in Emma and Regina's guest bedroom during his mini vacation for the next five days.

Emma opened the door to the back studio and Killian let out a whistle as he took in the large space. Floor to ceiling mirrors lined the front wall, and the remaining three walls were a rustic exposed brick. The back and front walls had black curtains that could be pulled across the full length of the studio to cover the brick and mirrors. Small stage lights were positioned throughout the sides and ceiling of the space, allowing them to film rehearsals, classes, and promotional shoots with professional-quality lighting.

"Nice space you got here," he commented as he took it in.

"Thank you," Lily piped up as she turned from where she was sitting on a stool in the corner of the room, pulling up something on her iPhone that was plugged into the sound system.

"Killian, you remember Lily," Emma said, reintroducing the two. They had only met briefly in person a few months earlier after Emma's first performance with Danse Theatre Montréal. Killian had been able to come up for one night to see his best friend perform in her debut.

"It's nice to meet you again," Killian said, taking Lily's hand.

"You as well."

"Emma, where is our other partner-in-creative genius?" Killian asked.

"She'll be here later. She's out running a few errands, and we don't really need her until we're done finalizing the choreography."

"Ah, good point."

 ***.*.***

Regina parked her classic black Mercedes 560SL in Lily's reserved spot in the alley behind the studio. There wasn't anyone around, but she pulled her black beanie down a bit more as she emerged from the car, just in case. After the photographs of her donning apparel from the company were published in _Celeb! Weekly_ , Emma had warned her that if she wanted to keep a low profile, she should probably avoid the dance studio. Calls had continued to come in asking about the actress and if she took classes there, and fans had started showing up not only to take drop-in classes, but to loiter around the entrance of the studio, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite on-screen villain. Lily and the studio manager had yelled at them and posted "No Loitering" signs, but the park benches the city had put on the sidewalks, combined with the unseasonably warm weather that led the cafés on either side of the studio to put up their front patio seating a bit earlier than usual, did little to deter fans from buying a small coffee, taking a seat, and waiting for the brunette's appearance. As annoying as it was, Lily couldn't help but appreciate the added business, as they had 20 new students in Regina's prime demographic sign up for class in the four weeks since the issue had been published. The two neighboring cafés weren't complaining about their added business, either. Unfortunately for the fans, Regina stayed away from the studio until that morning, so their loitering efforts had been fruitless.

Regina popped the trunk and quickly grabbed some of the equipment she needed, locking the car behind her and walking over to the back entrance to the studio. She punched in the keypad code Lily had given her, allowing her to pull open the locked door and make her way inside. She kicked off her shoes at the tiny back foyer and entered the studio space quietly through the door in the back corner of the studio. She could hear the unmistakable sound of Celine Dion's voice singing "I Surrender" through the walls of the studio, and she didn't want to interrupt their rehearsal.

She watched as Killian lifted Emma effortlessly with one arm, the blonde's legs extended in a perfect split as he rotated around in a full circle before gently placing her back down on the ground. His arm never left her waist as he pulled her toward him so her back was to his chest, her right leg wrapping around his right hip in a back attitude position as they both leaned to the side, her head turning towards his so she could look him in the eye.

"Okay, great!" Lily called, pausing the music. "That was perfect."

"Yeah?" Emma asked as she stood back up, laughing as Killian pulled down the back of her tank top that had ridden up during that last partnering movement.

"It really was," Regina added as she made her way across the floor of the studio.

"Hey, babe," Emma smiled as she left Killian's side to greet her girlfriend, taking one of the black cases from the brunette's hands. "Is this everything?"

"No, there's more in the car," Regina said. "A lot more, actually. Lily, at the end of today is it okay if we lock all this stuff up in your office? I don't want to have to load it up tonight and unload it again tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's fine," Lily nodded before turning back to her notes.

"Would you like some help bringing the rest in?" Killian asked, taking the case that was in Regina's other hand.

"That would be great, thanks."

"Alright, let's go," Emma said. "We'll be right back, Lily," she called to her friend across the room as she followed Killian and Regina out to the alley.

"Whoa," Killian commented as Regina lifted the trunk, taking a look at all the equipment still to bring in. "You weren't kidding. They just let you take all this?"

"I had to give them a deposit, but otherwise, yeah," Regina commented. Good friends of hers from college had opened a small production company in Montréal, mostly doing documentary filmmaking. They were between projects at that moment, so she had been able to borrow some of their cameras and equipment for the weekend. "So, please don't break anything. I'd like to get my check back on Sunday when I return all this."

Killian laughed as he slung a long tripod bag over his shoulder. "How many cameras did you get?"

"Five. I figured we can set them up from a few different angles. One is small and we might even be able to rig it from the ceiling next to one of the lights to get a more bird's eye view. One of the cases is for a Steadicam, so that one I can use manually and get some smooth moving shots."

"We're so going to win this thing," Emma smiled, kissing Regina on the cheek as she picked up two bags to carry them inside. "It won't even be contest when we're done with it."

The contest was a video challenge posed by Celine Dion to her fans, wanting to inspire artistry and creativity. After yet another residency in Las Vegas, the singer was gearing up for a new world tour. She had been known to feature dancers in her shows over the years — in fact, Emma had been able to join Danse Theatre Montréal because one of the company members was leaving to go train as a dancer for the world tour, which had left a vacancy in the company. The singer and her tour director had decided to solicit videos from fans, asking them to use one of her songs to create a dance film. Her creative team would watch all the entries and select eight semi-finalists, fans would then vote on those to select the four finalists, and then the singer would choose her favorite. The winner's video would be shown on-screen behind her as she performed the song live at all her tour stops. And, depending on scheduling, there would be the potential for the dancers in the video to appear on stage at one of the tour locations and perform the piece in-person.

As soon as Lily and Emma had heard about the contest, they both wanted to enter. They knew that they would rather work together than compete against each other, so they teamed up to choreograph a piece. They decided that Lily would be the lead choreographer, while Emma would perform it and offer her choreographic input as well. Emma had requested that Killian dance with her, as she felt that her history dancing with him for the past decade would make for much better on-camera chemistry than if she partnered with one of the guys from the company, who she still didn't know that well. Lily had agreed. Their only weakness was that none of them had much experience with videography or film editing. One night when Emma was telling Regina about the contest, the brunette had offered her services. "I haven't manned a camera since college, but I did minor in film studies and directed and edited a handful of student films back then. I even used to film one of the dance major's concerts every year," she had said. Emma had quickly agreed, and Lily was excited to have someone who knew what they were doing in control of the video. Not to mention, if their video made it to the semi-finals when fans would get to vote, having Regina's involvement and her fans' support would guarantee that they made it to the finals.

"Do you actually know how to use all this stuff?" Killian asked when they were back inside and putting together the last of the tripods and securing the cameras. He critically examined one of the cameras as though it were a bomb about to explode in his hands.

"Yeah. My friends gave me a brief tutorial of everything so that I would know enough not to break anything, and they lent me one of their older laptops to use that has all the software on it for editing," Regina explained. "And after Emma told me about this, I made it a point to drop by the editing studio at _Frozen Mirror_ more often during our final two weeks of filming. The software has become a lot more sophisticated since I was in school 15 years ago, but the underlying principles are the same."

"I'm so excited," Lily commented as she looked around the space. "This is hardcore."

Regina fired up her computer that had remotely connected to the cameras, causing the five different camera angles to appear on the screen. Three stationary cameras were placed at eye-level at various points around the room, while the one with a wide-angle lens was mounted just above the center door at the front of the studio and the Steadicam was still in her hand. "What do you guys think? Are you happy with all of these viewpoints or do you want to adjust anything?"

"This looks great," Lily said. "We can film it a few times today and see if there's anything we want to adjust, but this looks like it might be perfect."

"Sounds good," Regina commented as she set up the Steadicam. "I'm ready whenever you are."

 ***.*.***

They worked diligently all day, rehearsing the piece and making minor changes to the choreography once they saw how it looked on screen. The first few times they practiced the piece, Regina simply watched Emma and Killian, taking it in and making notes about particular angles she wanted to get with the close-up footage. She discussed her ideas with Lily, making sure she was on the same page regarding the storyline of the piece and Lily's intentions with her choreography. The story was a modern-day Romeo and Juliet retelling where Emma was desperately in love with Killian. But, they couldn't be together because of a rivalry between their families, forcing Emma into an engagement with another man. Ultimately at the end, true love would win, and Emma would choose Killian.

Regina then practiced using the Steadicam, coordinating her own movements filming with those of Killian and Emma's. It was her own bit of videographer choreography to complement the dancers, and she was careful to stay out of their way, as she didn't want to interrupt their moment. As they played the footage from the morning back on the screen during their lunch break that afternoon, all four were impressed with their collective work.

"This looks bloody incredible," Killian commented as they watched the Steadicam footage from their most recent run-through. "And we haven't even added lights or costumes yet. Oh, I love that close-up," he said, referring to a moment where Regina had focused on their joined hands, their palms meeting and then shifting slightly to interlace their fingers together before she zoomed out in time to catch Killian's dejected expression as Emma pushed herself away from him.

"So do I," Regina smiled.

"You amaze me, you know that?" Emma whispered in her ear. The blonde was sitting behind her girlfriend on the floor, her arms wrapped loosely around the brunette's waist and resting her chin on her shoulder as they huddled around the laptop. "You're so talented. You have a great eye for this."

"Thank you," Regina turned around in her arms and quickly kissed her cheek before returning her focus to the screen.

When they had watched all the footage, Lily suggested they take a half hour to let their lunch settle and to stretch and relax a bit before they resumed another few hours of rehearsals.

"Hey, Killian?" Regina asked, pulling him aside quietly when Emma left to use the restroom.

"Yeah, love?"

"Do you have some time after we're done today to stick around for an hour or so?"

"I think that should be fine. Why?"

"Watching you and Emma dance together…I want to do that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay…?"

"Can you teach me your part of the choreography? Some of it anyway? I want to surprise her. I know it won't be nearly as good as when you dance it with her, but I really want to try."

"I think I can manage that," he smiled. "You were quite good in the musical. I think you can pull it off."

She blushed a little at that. "I don't need to learn the whole thing. I think I've picked up some of it just from watching you guys do it so much. Some of the lifts might need to be modified, but I want to try it."

"I'm happy to be of service."

"Thanks, Killian."

 ***.*.***

"Ready to go?" Emma asked as Regina packed away the laptop after they had finished rehearsing for the day.

"Not yet," Regina replied, glancing over at Killian. "I don't want to leave the cameras up overnight, so I need to take all this stuff down and lock it in Lily's office."

"Oh, right. Do you want help?"

"I can help her," Killian offered. "I know you've been rehearsing for your company's show all week, but I've had the week off. Why don't you head back and relax a bit before we all go to dinner?" he suggested.

"You sure?" she asked, looking between her girlfriend and her best friend.

"Of course," Regina replied. "Lily gave me the key to her office before she left, and the back door locks automatically, so Killian and I can take care of everything here. We'll see you back at the apartment."

"Okay…" the blonde said, leaning in to quickly peck her girlfriend's lips. "Love you. Don't take too long."

"Hopefully we won't need to," Regina smiled as she watched the blonde leave.

"Ready to learn a dance for your girl, love?" Killian asked, offering his hand out to Regina.

"Absolutely."

 ***.*.***

They finished their last take late Saturday afternoon. Emma jumped and then gracefully collapsed into Killian's arms at the end of the piece, her legs wrapped around his waist, her upstage arm around his shoulder and the other hand caressing his cheek. Her lips almost met his as his arms held her in place. Regina nearly broke down in tears at how beautifully they performed as Lily dimmed the stage lights and the studio faded to black. "Cut," Regina called as she found her words and she stopped the cameras. "That was amazing…both of you. I literally have chills." She would have been jealous of the connection Emma and Killian had portrayed if it wasn't so mesmerizing to watch.

"Yeah?" Emma asked as Killian helped her feet find the ground again, absentmindedly brushing some dust off her knees and trying not to wince at the Marley burns left on her thighs from one of the floor slides she performed earlier in the routine. She had opted for aesthetic over function, wearing tiny black lycra yoga shorts under a navy satin chemise that fell to her mid-thigh. It made the floorwork more painful, but it looked great on camera. The garment had black lace trim at the bottom hem and along the slight v-shaped neckline. The rich navy contrasted with her light skin and hair, amplified by the warm yellow and cool white lighting gels they had chosen to use for the piece. Killian, in contrast, had worn black dress pants and a simple white unbuttoned shirt, which Emma had pulled off him at one point in the middle of the piece and wrapped around herself.

"Yeah. It was really great," Lily added. "I think we could win this thing. You are both stunning."

"Awesome," Emma smiled, reaching out for Regina's hands and allowing the brunette to pull her in for a quick kiss.

"How tired are you?" the brunette asked, cutting her eyes over to Killian quickly and biting back a smile at his knowing smirk.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Well, that depends…"

"Not that," Regina lightly slapped Emma's taut stomach. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?"

Regina bit her lip as she nodded, her nerves suddenly getting the best of her. She took Emma's hand and pulled her back toward the center of the floor. "Watching you and Killian dance together and being part of this project has been such a wonderful experience. It's like it's reawakened a creative part of me I lost all those years ago when Cora made me stop dancing because she didn't think I'd be good enough to be a professional, so she deemed it not worth my time, despite how much I loved it." A hint of bitterness laced her tone as she reflected on her mother's interference in her life. She quickly carried on, not wanting to dwell on the past. "I asked Killian to help me learn his part of the dance, and I want to dance it with you."

"Seriously?" Emma couldn't help but smile.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "The song is so fucking perfect for us. I want to share that with you."

"I'd love that."

"Really?"

"Of course," Emma said, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend. "Do you want to walk through any of it first or just go for it?"

"Oh, she's ready," Killian interjected, winking at Regina. "She even managed not to drop me when we were practicing the lifts. I think you'll be impressed, Swan. Your girl's got some serious strength."

"I'm always impressed," Emma replied, winking at Regina.

Regina quickly stripped off the hoodie and sweatpants she had been wearing, revealing her own black satin and lace chemise to complement Emma's navy and black number. Hers was a deep v-neck, which she had taped in place just to be safe, since she didn't trust it not to expose more than she would want Lily and Killian to see. The back was cut low, exposing most of her back aside from a few straps that crossed in an intricate pattern across her spine.

Lily dimmed the studio lights and turned the stage lights back on so they would have the full effect and intimacy of a true performance. Killian turned on the music as Regina took her spot off to the side, as the piece opened with Emma at the center of the floor by herself. The opening notes and lyrics rang out through the otherwise silent studio, and Regina was once again captivated by Emma's movements. She quickly pulled down the small shorts she was wearing to make sure her ass was covered as she released a breath, preparing to dance onto the stage during the words that cut so deeply within her: " _And give up this fear within / of what would happen if they ever knew / I'm in love with you."_

Time seemed to stand still, yet also passed so quickly as they danced together, with Emma fitting perfectly within her arms. Even though they had never practiced the choreography together, somehow they moved together as one. Regina was surprised by the level of trust Emma placed in her, fearlessly throwing herself toward Regina and knowing that the brunette would catch her. Perhaps it was the eight months they had spent learning about the way the other moved, knowing with just a slight touch what the other was going to do next. Regina thought to herself how she had never felt more present in any moment in her life than when she was dancing with Emma like that. She also couldn't help but feel that although Lily's choreography for Killian and Emma centered around Emma's forbidden love of Killian, the way they were dancing it in that moment reversed the roles, reflecting Regina's inner turmoil over keeping their relationship a secret. By the end of the piece, when Emma jumped into Regina's arms, wrapping her legs around her waist, one arm around her shoulder and one hand on her cheek, Regina couldn't help but tilt her head up to kiss Emma. The raw emotion and fervor that had been building up for the past four minutes of the song was finally released as she pulled the blonde even closer to her, blocking out the rest of the room. In that moment, it was just the two of them. They didn't even notice when the music ended and Lily faded the lights to black, complete silence enveloping the room once again.

When the regular lights turned back on, Regina finally set Emma down softly on the ground, their foreheads still resting together until Lily's voice brought them back to reality: "Holy shit."

"Maybe that's the version we should submit," Killian added.

Regina let out a laugh as she pulled back from Emma's embrace, a tear rolling down her cheek that she quickly brushed away. "So, it didn't totally suck?"

"God no. You guys were exquisite," Lily said. "It almost felt like we were eavesdropping on a very private moment. I've never seen two people connect like that in a piece before, and especially not on the first try."

"Seriously?" Regina asked incredulously. It had felt amazing to dance with Emma, but she doubted that it looked halfway decent.

"See for yourself," Lily smirked.

"What?" Emma asked.

"The cameras are still hooked up. I figured you guys might want a copy for yourselves, so I recorded it," she explained, gesturing to the laptop.

"So did I," Killian said, wiggling Emma's iPhone that he had picked up to film it from where he manned the sound system in the corner.

"You didn't even notice, did you?" Lily continued. She went on to tell them that she used the Steadicam, but the two women were so connected with each other that they hadn't seen Lily lurking in the shadows and filming them. "It won't be nearly as well-shot as Regina's footage, but you two radiate such love for each other that even my shitty camera work should still look great."

Emma raised a hesitant eyebrow, waiting for Regina's reaction. She knew Regina was very private, and even though Lily and Killian obviously knew about their relationship, she wasn't sure how Regina would feel about them filming it.

"Well, let's see it," Regina smiled, jogging over to the computer and huddling around it.

 ***.*.***

"I can't get over how amazing we look," Emma said. She was lying in bed next to Regina that night, watching the video on her iPhone for what must have been the tenth time since they got home that evening. Regina, meanwhile, had spent most of the night on her laptop, starting to edit the footage she took of Killian and Emma earlier in the day. They needed to have the finalized version ready to submit before Regina went on her European convention tour the following weekend. "I know this must sound conceited, but we really do look incredible," Emma continued.

"I agree," Regina replied, setting aside the book she was reading and snuggling closer to her girlfriend to peek at the screen. Regina resisted the impulse to critique herself — her legs could have been straighter, her toes more pointed, and her arms were a little rigid compared to Emma's — but overall, she had pulled it off and was proud of herself for holding her own relatively well next to someone of Emma's caliber. She couldn't help but grin when she even managed to keep up with Emma in a side-by-side turn sequence, nailing a perfectly-timed triple pirouette, straightening her working leg to float out of it and going straight into what Emma jokingly referred to as the "flying squirrel jump." She had felt it in that moment — the synchronicity of their breathing guiding their movement, keeping time. She pressed a kiss to Emma's shoulder as the song came to an end on the tiny screen in the blonde's hand. Although Killian's footage wasn't the best, as he had been in the corner of the studio, it was still beautiful.

"Cora is an idiot for making you quit," Emma finally said when the video ended. "You could have been a professional dancer. Hell, you still could be, if you wanted to. The fact that you still have that level of technique and picked up the choreography that quickly…. It's not an easy piece to do. And you were fucking magnificent."

Regina smiled as she took the phone out of Emma's hand, setting it on the bedside table and swinging her leg across the blonde's hips so that she was sitting on top of her. "It definitely was not easy. My 36-year-old body is not cut out for this," she chuckled. "Everything hurts. I think I found muscles today that I didn't even know I had."

"Need a massage?" Emma wiggled her eyebrows.

"In a bit," she grinned, leaning down to meet Emma's lips with her own. "You know, I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"I don't want to hide anymore," Regina murmured against her lips. "To quote the ever-elegant Miss Dion, 'I need to live my truth.' I'm done keeping you a secret."

Emma pulled back slightly to look in Regina's eyes. "Are you sure? What about your contract?"

Regina sat back up and took Emma's hands in hers. "I don't care about my contract. Fuck the studio. If they can't make their peace with who I am, then why should I give them any more of my time? They make so much money off of me, and I don't want to contribute to the prosperity of a company that's so clearly against a critical part of me."

Emma smiled at Regina, squeezing her hands before she let go and wrapped her arms around Regina's hips. "Yeah?"

The brunette nodded. "Absolutely. Emma, today was the freest I've felt in a decade. I was serious when I said that working on this project with you guys has been like a creative reset for me. It's been inspiring and I want to keep that going. It's like you're my muse or something," she continued. "I don't want to squander that away on that show if it means denying that part of me. I don't know what will be next, but I want to find out. If they can't accept me and my relationship with you, then I'm quitting. I'm not negotiating for anything less than being able to live my life out in the open."

"Wow," Emma replied, stunned by Regina's declaration. "So, when do you want to do this? How do you want to do this?"

She shrugged. "I don't know yet. I haven't thought that far ahead. But, I've definitely made up my mind. I am doing this, and soon. I promise you that. I want to be able to walk down the street and hold your hand without looking over my shoulder, worried that a fan with a camera might see us and gossip on Instagram. I want to be able to live my life."

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you, too."

 ***.*.***

Less than a week later, Regina made her decision. She and Emma finally had a night to themselves, which gave Regina time to think.

Lily had left a few hours earlier after coming over to watch the final cut of their contest entry, which Regina had worked tirelessly on all week. She had fallen in love with the video editing process and loved that it gave her something to do now that the show had wrapped for the season, while Emma was back in rehearsals for her upcoming performance. Killian departed the apartment shortly after Lily had left, heading back to the airport to return home after his short stay in Montréal. They were all extremely happy with the final product and immediately uploaded it to Regina's newly-created YouTube channel to submit their contest entry.

Regina had been posting teasers throughout the week to her Instagram account about her newest secret project: screen captures of Emma and Killian, 10-second clips that showed various close-up moments of the duo, and behind the scenes photographs she had taken during rehearsals of Lily working with Emma and Killian. She had also included a few fun shots, including a ridiculous selfie Killian took with Lily and Emma kissing each of his cheeks, and Regina sitting piggyback-style so she could kiss the top of his head. She hoped the fan interest would make sure their video got seen by the creative team selecting the semi-finalists, even though she truly believed that their video could stand on its own and didn't need her name attached to it. But, it certainly wouldn't hurt to promote the hell out of it. She tweeted out a link to the full video and added one longer clip to Instagram with the caption: _Here it is! We're excited to share this project with you. The always beautiful 'EmmaSwanDances' and 'KillianJones1' dancing in our submission for the #CelineWorldTour dance film contest. Choreography by 'LilyPageMontreal' and the dancers, and direction/filming/editing by yours truly. We hope you enjoy it! Full video link in bio._ Lily, Emma, and Killian immediately reposted it as well, linking to Regina's account to direct their followers to the YouTube video.

Fan comments started pouring in immediately, and the full video on YouTube gained over 100,000 views in less than 10 minutes. Everyone seemed to be obsessed with the video, and even the singer's official Instagram account had liked the social media post within the first hour it was up. "Wow," Emma commented as she watched the view count continue to climb. "This is insane."

"I know," Regina smiled. "I'm so proud of this."

"You should be. It's beautiful. You should really consider going into directing and editing if you ever decide to leave acting behind. Or do it in addition to acting."

"Maybe," Regina shrugged, closing out the internet browser window and pulling Emma down onto her lap. "I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

Regina said nothing, and instead pulled up the video player on her laptop. The familiar notes of "I Surrender" started to play, only this time it was their version. Emma watched in silence as she and Regina moved on the screen. When it was over, the blonde couldn't help the few tears that escaped. "Wow," she said breathlessly. Regina had taken the footage that Lily recorded with the professional cameras and edited it together. It was more simple than the contest submission, as Lily's Steadicam work didn't have the same level of direction and intention as Regina's had. But, the raw simplicity combined with their natural chemistry and unyielding love for one another made it even more powerful in its own way.

Regina smiled and kissed the back of her neck. "You like it?"

"I love it," she replied. "Beautiful."

"I was thinking that this could be it."

"Could be what? We already submitted our entry…"

"I know," Regina laughed. "I meant that maybe this could be the way we tell the world about us. It's extremely personal, but it's real, and it's beautiful, and I don't want to keep this hidden. If it's okay with you, I want to post it. I think it speaks for itself, and it feels like the way to do it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," she said firmly. There was no doubt in her mind that she was ready. "But, you need to realize that this will launch you into the path of the media and my fans, even more than you already are. I want to make sure you're okay with that, too. It was a lot for Robin to handle at first, and he and I were just putting on a show. It'll probably make things a lot harder for us both initially and put some added strain on us."

"I know, and I'll deal with it. I just want you to be happy." Emma replied. "We'll be fine. I have faith in us."

"Okay, then."

Emma smiled, turning around fully so she could kiss her girlfriend. "So, when are you thinking?"

"Maybe in a half hour or so…let the actual contest entry make the rounds first. I don't want our announcement to steal the thunder from our work with Killian and Lily, but I don't want to wait too long and start second-guessing myself."

"That sounds great," Emma nodded as she hopped off Regina's lap, stating that she was going to get started on dinner while Regina selected which short clip to post on Instagram. She planned to link to the full video that they would post on Emma's YouTube channel instead of her own, in order to prevent it from getting confused with their official entry. After the contest submission period closed the following week, she would post it on her own YouTube account, too, but she didn't want to wait that long to make their announcement. She was feeling brave and was more than ready to stop the charade. She loved Emma, and she didn't care who knew it.

She ended up selecting the last 45 seconds of the piece, including their unscripted kiss at the end to make the true nature of their relationship very clear — anyone who saw both versions of the video would know that the kiss wasn't part of the choreography, and that it was just about the two women in that moment together. Although the lyrics heard in the clip were different, Regina selected the ones that resonated so profoundly with her to serve as the caption: _…and now I need to live the truth. Right now, there's no better time, from this fear I will break free. And I'll live again with love, and no they can't take that away from me… 'EmmaSwanDances'. Thank you Celine for your music, which says it all better than I ever could. Thank you 'LilyPageMontreal' for your choreography, and thank you ' KillianJones1' for teaching me this part. But most of all, thank you, Emma, for absolutely everything. #SwanQueen. Full video on Emma's YouTube channel/link in her bio._

She took a deep breath, added a red heart emoji after Emma's username in the caption, and then hit "post," sending out their message to her 2.1 million followers instantly. She immediately turned her phone to airplane mode, too nervous to see the comments come in, and more importantly, the angry text or phone call she knew she would get from Gold as soon as he saw it. "Alright. I posted it," she said as she walked over to the stove, spying on Emma as she made a chickpea curry. "Ooh, that smells divine."

"How do you feel?" Emma asked, turning the burner to the lowest setting so she could turn to face her girlfriend and not worry about burning their dinner.

"Good. Free. In love. Take your pick," she smiled.

Emma laughed as she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket, the notification telling her she had been tagged in Regina's post. She clicked it and chuckled as she read the caption. "Hashtag SwanQueen? What's that?"

"That's what they've been calling our relationship during all their speculation about us. Swan for you, obviously, and then I guess they think 'SwanMills' sounds stupid, so they're going with my _Frozen Mirror_ character persona," Regina shrugged. "I figured adding the fan's hashtag will help eliminate any question about our status, just in case any hardcore 'Robina' fans are still in denial about the demise of that ship."

"I think it's cute," Emma smiled. "Can I repost the video?"

"Of course," Regina nodded before adding, "Are people commenting on my post? I've been too afraid to look at it."

"They are," she smiled. "There are over a thousand comments and my notifications are out of control, so I can't read through all of them. It looks like there are a lot of rainbow flags and hearts coming in. Nothing negative that I can see, thus far." Emma quickly typed out a comment of _'and you are my everything.'_ on Regina's post for her to find later when she felt courageous enough to see for herself the overwhelming response the video was getting.

Regina let out a sigh of relief as Emma's fingers made quick work of reposting the video, typing out a caption of her own before handing the device over to Regina so she could read it. It was short and simple. She had taken Regina's cue and used the song's lyrics as the caption, causing Regina to tear up when she read it: _I'll hold you in my arms and never let go, 'ReginaMills'._

Emma wiped away a stray tear from the brunette's cheek, pulling her into her arms as she softly spoke in her ear, letting the brunette cry into her shoulder. "I mean it. I'm never letting you go. I'm so proud of you, Regina."

* * *

 **A few chapter notes and citations:** First, obviously, I don't own the lyrics, so all ownership there goes to the songwriters. If you haven't heard the song "I Surrender" by Celine Dion, go look it up (preferably from her "A New Day" Vegas show, because the dancers are incredible in it. Check out her Vevo channel on YouTube for the clip. And then watch the entire concert, because it's epic). Also, the dress Celine wears in that particular version is basically what I had in mind for Regina's costume, except Regina's would be much shorter so she could move freely. The song fits their situation so well, and has been in my mind since I knew I would continue this fic series (plus, she's from Quebec, so c'mon it's perfect). And obviously, this contest isn't real, but damn I wish it was because I would totally enter :)

This idea was loosely inspired by a video I saw or Ellen Page and Emma Portner dancing together. (I don't know if that's how they announced their relationship with each other, and Ellen was already out at the time, but I saw the video of them together around the time I was finishing the first fic and starting the sequel. That idea was already in my mind when I decided to have Emma be a dancer and to give Regina a bit of a dance background, but after seeing the Ellen/Emma video, it cemented that idea for Regina's coming out. Tbh I'm not a huge fan of Portner's choreographic style and didn't actually like the video that much (it's lovely, but not my thing), but I love the idea of a dancer and actress partnering up in life and in art like this and sharing it with the world).

In terms of what the choreography of the piece in this chapter would look like, look up Wade Robson's "Burning Room" (search Hk9-qH5fyTU on youtube for the direct link). It's one of my absolute favorite dance videos ever even though it's nearly a decade old at this point, and the dancer's dress in that video is similar in style to what I imagined Emma wearing, just a different color. And I imagine Regina would be pretty well-trained, so while she isn't perfect, she totally holds her own playing the other role.

I hope you enjoyed it! And of course, there's still much more to come. I have big plans for these two ;)

And for readers of _SCSL_ , the epilogue will be up this weekend (at least I hope so).


	11. Godmother(s)

**A/N:** Moving right along...time to find out what happened after the big coming out, and what's next. This ended up being much longer than I intended, but there's a lot of ground to cover and there was no logical place to divide it in half since it all centers around the same theme, so enjoy a longer-than-average update :)

* * *

 ** _Sunday, May 6, 7:45pm._**

As Regina sat patiently at baggage claim waiting for her luggage to appear on the carousel, she was silently cursing herself. She usually tried to stick with only a carry-on suitcase so she could avoid the wait and the potential for paparazzi (or overzealous fans) that frequently loitered at baggage claim. She had learned her lesson early in the second season of _Frozen_ Mirror, around the time when fans of the show started tracking her comings and goings, that waiting in baggage claim after flying home from filming in Nova Scotia was a bad idea — local fans would see her tweet that she was flying back to Montréal for the weekend, or they would see other fans post airport pictures of her in Halifax, and she would inevitably have a welcoming committee upon arriving to baggage claim in Montréal. Robin used to come meet her when he would pick her up to help get her to the car safely, but they quickly learned that made it worse. People loved seeing them together, so his presence often caused more of a commotion than if she had been by herself. It was better if she just waved, signed a few autographs and took a few selfies, and then hurried her way to the car with an escort from airport security, if needed. But it was even better if she could avoid baggage claim all together, which is why she had taken to buying two sets of clothes, leaving half at her home in Halifax and half at the apartment in Montreal. That way, she could get by with just her laptop, a book, and a few essentials in a small weekender bag. That method usually let her get from the arrival gate to her awaiting car in under 10 minutes, entirely bypassing the hordes of waiting fans and media cameras.

But returning from a 10-day convention tour in Europe meant it wasn't possible to pack quite that lightly, so there she was waiting at baggage claim at nearly eight o'clock that Sunday night after spending the better part of eight hours on a flight from Paris. The jet lag was already killing her, as her body was still on Parisian time where it would have been two in the morning. At least she could go home and go straight to bed. She looked forward to sleeping for the next 10 to 12 hours and prayed that she would readjust quickly. She of course missed Emma terribly, but truth be told, in that moment, she missed sleeping more. Reconnecting physically with Emma could wait until the next day after she had gotten some sleep. She was also grateful that because she was returning from an international flight, she was still in a secured part of the airport, as she still had to go through customs after picking up her checked bags. So, the only people to take photographs of her while she waited were other travelers who were also returning from flights abroad, and most of them seemed more focused on trying to stay awake than on the television star sitting on a bench next to them. And she hoped that at that time of the night, there wouldn't be too many people waiting outside in the public areas for her once she made it through customs and the security checkpoint.

She felt her phone vibrate in her hand and looked down to see who was texting her. She knew it wasn't Emma, as she had called Emma when she landed and the blonde had said she would leave for the airport so she could pick her up. Not enough time had passed for Emma to be texting her to say that she waiting out front. She saw Robin's name and slid her finger across the notification to read the text: _Can you please call me when you land? I need a favor. It's urgent._

She felt a moment of panic, hoping that something hadn't happened with Roland or Henry. She quickly called him, her heart beating faster with every ring until she heard his voice say, "Regina?"

"What's going on, Robin?"

"I need a favor, and I'm desperate."

"Okay…"

"Gwen has come down with the Chicken Pox. We think one of her nieces or nephews must have been in the early stages of it when we went to a birthday party earlier this week. Roland and Henry have already had it, so they're not a concern, but…"

"The baby," Regina finished his thought for him.

"Yeah. The doctor said that since Gwen hasn't had it until now, Jessie wouldn't have any antibodies to protect her. If she does get it, it would probably be pretty mild, but she's so young we don't want to take any chances. We need to keep her out of the house until Gwen is no longer contagious."

"Robin…" Regina cautioned, knowing where the conversation was heading.

"I know you haven't seen Emma in a while and these will be your first few days together, but would you please be able to help us out for the next five days or so? Just until she's not contagious. You know I wouldn't ask this of you unless it was an emergency, but there's no one else we trust with her available. Gwen's parents are extremely busy with a major event at their campgrounds, and mine are on vacation in Sussex. Who else better to keep her for a few days than her Godmother?"

"You do realize that neither Emma nor I have ever been around infants for more than a few hours at a time? We don't know what we're doing," Regina pointed out.

"I trust you, Regina. You're a natural mother. And I'll give you everything you need, and if anything happens or you have questions, I'm still around. I just don't want to take the baby and go to a hotel or whatever for five days. This is hitting her hard…she's miserable and can barely get out of bed, so I don't want to leave her alone like this, especially since she's still recovering from everything that happened," he said. Gwen had a rough time during the childbirth process, and it resulted in an unexpected hysterectomy due to some complications. She had only just recovered from the physical trauma a week or two earlier, but was still processing the emotional effects of the procedure.

"Do you need me to take the boys so you don't need to worry about them getting into trouble?"

"If you want to you can, but they should be fine. They still have school so they'll be gone during the day anyway, and they can keep themselves busy at night. And I figured asking you to take my two-month old infant for nearly a week would be more than enough chaos to bring into your life on your first day back from Europe. Welcome home, by the way."

She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah, thanks."

"So…?"

Regina sighed. She knew she should run it by Emma, but she also knew that Robin wouldn't ask her if he had any other options. And admittedly, she hadn't had a chance to spend nearly as much time with her Goddaughter as she would have liked. "Okay, we can take her. But, I'll need to find a sitter during Emma's show on Thursday night. I'm not missing her opening night again."

"That's not a problem. I can come over and watch her while you're out for a few hours that night. Hopefully by then Gwen will be feeling substantially better anyway, and if she's not, I can ask Henry to keep an eye on her for me."

Regina saw her suitcase appear on the baggage carousel, so she quickly got up and grabbed it. "Sounds good. I have to go through customs so I gotta run. I'll see you in a bit."

"Thank you, Regina. You're a lifesaver. I owe you one."

"I suppose you do. I'll be sure to remember that."

She cleared customs quickly and saw a text from Emma saying that the blonde was waiting in the loading zone out front. Regina smiled and made her way toward the front of the airport, managing to get through unnoticed.

"Nice car," Regina laughed as she slid into the front seat of her Mercedes after dropping her suitcase in the trunk. She leaned across the center console and quickly kissed Emma.

"Well, I figured my Bug would be a bit obvious," Emma commented when her lips were free again. "I didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't," she laughed, and Emma had a point. After announcing their relationship a few weeks earlier, the blonde had developed a bit of a following throughout Montréal. Her open dance classes were even more highly attended by fans — they knew they wouldn't meet Regina at a class, but they could meet her confirmed girlfriend, and that was the next best thing. The added attention on the blonde also meant that people recognized her bright yellow Volkswagen after seeing her running errands in it around town. Regina's black classic 1980's Mercedes was just as unique, but a little less conspicuous, especially in the dark of night.

"Ready to go home?" Emma asked as she exited the loading zone and pulled out into traffic.

"Yes…but we have a quick detour we have to make on the way."

* * *

"Do you want kids?" Regina asked as she played with Jessie on the floor of the living room. It was Wednesday night, three full days into their temporarily adventure into parenting an infant. Aside from a startling 3am screaming fest the first night, which Emma had gratefully handled since Regina was too jetlagged to comprehend what was happening, things had been going surprisingly well.

Emma had just walked into the living room and sat down on the couch with a bowl of reheated macaroni and cheese. She paused with the fork halfway to her mouth as her jaw dropped, not expecting that question to come out of her girlfriend's mouth. She had only returned from her dress rehearsal five minutes earlier, and except for a quick kiss and a "hello," she and Regina hadn't even spoken yet. Emma had made a beeline straight for the refrigerator, focused on getting something to eat after a long day of rehearsing for her performance the following night.

Regina chuckled when she saw the expression on the blonde's face. "Sorry to blurt it out like that," she said. "It just popped into my head."

"No, it's fine," Emma said, putting the fork back in the dish and setting the bowl down to rest in her lap. "To be honest, I haven't really thought much about it. I've never had that burning desire to be pregnant and have a child, and you're my first real relationship, so it hasn't come up before. But, I like kids. I kind of always thought if I decided to have kids I would adopt, or at least wait until I'm done with my performance career if I wanted to get pregnant," she shrugged. When she heard Regina hum in response, she turned the question around. "What about you? Do you want kids, besides Roland and Henry?"

The brunette smiled down at the baby in her lap as the infant let out a little gurgling noise. "I always wanted kids, but I didn't think it would happen for me…I never thought I would get married or have kids, which is why I was so happy to take on that role for Henry and Roland. I gave up on the idea of being pregnant a long time ago. When I was with Robin, I knew it wouldn't happen, because bringing another child into that fucked up world we created would have made things even more complicated. Plus, he had already had a vasectomy, so he clearly wasn't planning on having more kids," Regina chuckled as she looked down at the baby in her lap, evidence that not all vasectomies are 100 percent effective. "Co-parenting older kids was one thing, but raising a baby as just friends who were pretending to be in love seemed like it'd be a bit much. And even if I had wanted to, the timing wasn't right with the show and all the cons I was signed up to do all the time. It's selfish, but I didn't want to give that up back then."

"But…" Emma pressed, knowing Regina had cut herself off mid-thought.

Regina sighed. "But, after seeing Gwen go through it, and Mary-Margaret and David with their brood they've created since _Frozen Mirror_ started…well, I can't say I'm not thinking about it. But, I'm getting older, so if I were going to try to get pregnant I would need to do it soon while I still can…"

Emma nodded, processing the information. "I see."

"I haven't decided anything yet…I'm really just in the beginning phases of thinking about it," Regina continued, sensing Emma's trepidation. "I guess I just wanted to see what your general thoughts were on the subject. We've never really talked about it before, and it would be good to know, you know?"

"You're right. We haven't," Emma said, glancing over at her bowl of pasta that she had desperately been looking forward to throughout her rehearsal all day, but her nerves were getting the best of her and killing her appetite. "We probably should do that."

"We don't have to right now. I didn't mean to spring this on you, and I really don't want you to freak out about it."

"I'm not freaking out," Emma said a little too quickly.

Regina quirked a brow before she continued her train of thought. "…But, it's been on my mind."

"I'm glad you brought it up, then. It's definitely an important conversation to have."

"Yep," Regina agreed, turning her attention back Jessie, picking up a stuffed toy and bopping the baby on the nose with it until she giggled. "And while we're on the topic of serious and potentially life-altering conversations…" Regina continued, shifting her position on the floor to directly face Emma. "There's something else we really do need to talk about now."

"Okay," Emma said, growing even more nervous.

"Well, you know how everything played out with my contract," Regina started.

"Of course," Emma said sympathetically. Despite Regina's insistence that she was feeling good about her decision, Emma knew it still had to be hard for her, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud.

After Regina had released her "coming out" dance film with Emma, she had nine missed calls, texts, and voicemails from Gold in the immediate afterhours of the video going live. None of the messages from him were pleasant, so she knew her fate. A few days later he called Regina and demanded her presence at the Montréal satellite office of the production company the day before she was scheduled to leave for Europe. He was planning to rescind her offer for a renewed contract on the grounds that she violated the terms of the contract, even prior to signing it. But, she had expected him to do something like that when she got called in for a meeting, so she quit on the spot instead. Immediately upon opening the door to the conference room she had said, _Fuck off. I'm done,_ before he even had the chance to withdraw the offer. It wasn't her finest professional moment, but it was cathartic. And that way, she was still able to say that it was her decision to leave, rather than the studio firing her, which could have potentially made it harder for her to get another job in the future. But, she kept a photocopy of the contract with the ridiculous demands about her personal life, just in case she ever needed to make that information public. She didn't want to cause a scandal, especially since she was still friends with the remaining cast and crew and releasing the truth of the contract would jeopardize their livelihoods. But, she needed it in her back pocket, just in case Gold did anything stupid that would impact her own chance of making a living in the industry. Other than the messy way it ended, she was surprisingly okay with saying goodbye to the show. She was still allowed to do the remaining conventions for the year, as she had already signed contracts with the companies, and many were put on by third parties not officially affiliated with the show. Those events would give her the opportunity to have a little farewell tour of her own, since she knew she would no longer be welcome at conventions in upcoming seasons, if Gold had anything to say about it.

Regina quickly continued. "Well, I don't have anything lined up yet, obviously, so it makes sense for me to move back to Montréal. You're here, the kids are here, and I love it here."

Emma smiled. "I figured you would."

"Well," Regina said awkwardly. "Would you be okay with me living here? At least temporarily while I see what's next."

"Duh. Where else would you live?" Emma chuckled. "This is your place."

"Technically, yeah. But you're officially leasing it through October, so it's not really mine at the moment. It's your home right now, and I don't want to encroach on your territory, so it's your call. I didn't want to make the assumption that you'd want to live together full-time for the next five months. We haven't really talked about that, either, and we haven't been together that long, and depending on where we see this going in the future—"

"Regina," Emma cut her off. "I love you, and I love having you here. It would be stupid for you to live anywhere else. We may have had an atypical start to our relationship and haven't been able to see each other consistently, but when we do, we're basically together 24/7. Frankly, it'd be weird to have you living in this city but not with me. I like having you around," she smiled.

"Okay, good," Regina let out a relieved breath. "But seriously, if anything changes, please tell me. I won't be offended, and I don't want our relationship to be put at risk if it turns out we're not as ready for this as we think we are, especially since people will ultimately realize that we're living together, so even more attention will be on you."

"I promise I'll tell you if you start to annoy me," Emma said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Regina felt Killian's hand on her back as he guided her forward. She quietly slipped through the curtains draping the box seats on the side of the theater and sat down. "Thank you," she whispered to him as they got settled in their cozy reserved seats.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Emma wasn't kidding…a crowd really does follow you wherever you go."

Regina frowned slightly, the weight of his words hitting her. She hoped that the intense scrutiny wasn't getting to the blonde. "Yeah," she sighed, half-heartedly thumbing through the program in her hands and thankful that the house lights had dimmed a little in preparation for the start of the performance, hopefully shielding the pair from prying eyes in the seats below. There were still a few minutes to go, but the theater was quickly filling up, and Regina could bet that the audience members sitting in the front rows could hear the dancers warming up on stage behind the heavy black velour curtain that masked them from view. "But at least that means it's a full house tonight."

Now that her relationship with Emma was public knowledge, and knowing that Regina was back in Montréal since she was no longer filming, her fans had correctly assumed that she would be attending Emma's performance. Not surprisingly, upon arriving to the theater Regina and Killian were met with a large crowd of diehard _Frozen Mirror_ fans, both outside the theater (for the fans who couldn't get tickets to the sold-out performance) and inside the lobby. Regina had anticipated that would be the case and was thankful that Emma had been able to secure private seats at the side of the theater, which meant that once inside the auditorium, she could avoid interruptions from the rest of the audience. She had also intentionally arrived only 10 minutes before the performance was scheduled to begin, minimizing the opportunity for fans to flock her.

"True," Killian nodded. "Emma said they sold out every show." Killian had flown in from Maine earlier in the day to come see his best friend's opening night, and he had offered to escort Regina and serve as her ad hoc bodyguard. He had proven himself to be quite valuable, running interference as he whisked Regina straight to their seats, preventing anyone from latching onto her. A few had managed to take photos of her as they walked past, but given the carefully planned time constraints before the start of the show, she had declined requests for selfies, saying _maybe after the show_ , knowing full well that they were planning to sneak out a side exit to avoid the masses.

Regina smiled at Killian as she turned her attention back to the program, attempting to focus on the biographies of the company dancers. She had only met Lily, so she was curious about the other people Emma worked with every day. She finished flipping through the program just as the house lights faded to black and the curtain separating the stage from the audience began to rise.

 ***.*.***

"Breathtaking," Regina whispered to herself as the last piece ended and the stage lights dimmed. "Absolutely breathtaking," she repeated as she loudly applauded.

Killian smiled at her, noticing the tears running down her cheeks. The final piece had featured Emma's pas-de-trois, which she danced with Lily and one of the men from the company, and Regina had clearly been moved by it. He had only met Regina a few times, but after watching them dance together when they were filming their contest entry the previous month, and observing Regina's reaction to Emma's performance on stage, he could see the love the brunette had for his best friend. He was happy Emma finally had someone like that in her life. "Come on," he whispered to her, lightly grabbing her wrist as she continued to clap. "Let's get out of here."

"They haven't taken their bows yet," Regina protested.

"I know, but as soon as they do, the lights will go back up in here and people will start trying to find you. Let's get to a secluded spot before that happens," he urged her. "When they see that you're no longer in your seat, they'll assume you snuck out early to avoid the crowds. Maybe by the time you're ready to leave, everyone will have cleared out and won't be waiting for you."

Regina hesitated, but quickly grabbed her clutch and followed him out of the box seats and down a side hallway away from the lobby. "Where are we going?"

"Backstage…or as close as we can get," he said, navigating the halls. Fortunately, he knew his way around, as he had danced in that theater several times on tour during his years with the American Ballet Theatre.

He led them to a locked door and paused, causing Regina to frown when she saw the keypad on the door and no theater personnel in sight to open it. "What now, Sherlock?"

"Hang on," he rolled his eyes as he dug in his suit pocket to pull out his phone. "Ah, here we go." He glanced at the screen and then quickly typed in a code. "Voila," he said, pulling open the door. "After you."

"Impressive," she said.

"Not really. Lily texted me the code earlier when I asked. We both figured you might need a hiding spot."

Regina laughed as they walked through the narrow, dimly lit hallways, Killian telling her which way to go from where he trailed behind her. She tried not to trip in her tall heels, which echoed loudly with each step she took on the tile floor.

"Ah, here we are," he said, finding the door to the green room.

"Are we allowed in there?" Regina asked as she heard thunderous applause coming through the monitor on the ceiling. The small device allowed the performers lingering in the area to know what was happening on stage so they wouldn't miss their cues.

"It's fine," he said, opening the door.

The room was empty, aside from a physical therapist who was sitting on her plinth with several bags of ice, waiting for the dancers to return. She barely acknowledged the intrusion, likely recognizing Regina as Emma's girlfriend. She smiled politely at the pair before returning her attention to preparing the dancer's post-show aftercare necessities.

Regina looked around the space, but didn't have too much time to take it in before the dancers returned. Most hurried straight through the green room to get to their designated dressing rooms, which were located off the back of the green room. A few stopped to pick up bags of ice along the way, while one dancer, who Regina recognized as the guy from Emma's pas-de-trois, hopped up on the physical therapist's table and asked politely for some help with his shoulder.

"I see you made it back here okay," Lily said to the pair as she burst into the room, a smile on her face.

"We did, thank you," Killian nodded.

"Congratulations on a beautiful show, Lily," Regina said as she hugged the woman.

"Thanks," she smiled.

Regina continued chatting with her about one of the pieces Lily had choreographed as Emma bounced into the room. The blonde was usually on the introverted side, but performing energized her. "Killian!" she shouted, spotting the tall man first.

"Hey there, Swan. Lovely job as always," he said, running over to her and picking her up, twirling around with her before setting her feet back on the floor.

"Thank you," she chuckled as she found her footing, her eyes seeking out the other brunette she really wanted to see. When she saw her talking to Lily, she quickly walked over, sneaking up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist. "Hi," she whispered as Regina jumped in surprise. "Thank you for the flowers you sent before the show. They're gorgeous."

"Hi," she said as she turned around, leaning in for a quick kiss. She smiled at the thought that they could now do that in front of Emma's fellow dancers and not have to hide. "And you're welcome. You were amazing, Emma. Truly stunning. The whole show was beautiful."

The blonde blushed as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ears. On her walk back from the stage, she had started to take out the bobbypins securing her bun in place, and her hair was quickly coming undone. "Thanks. I'm so glad you were able to be here tonight."

"I wouldn't miss it," Regina replied, trying not to let the guilt of missing Emma's previous opening night several months before eat away at her. She still hated Robert Gold for deliberately messing with her filming schedule so she wouldn't be able to be there.

"Should we all go get a drink?" Killian asked the three women a little while later. He and Regina had continued chatting with Emma, while Lily had excused herself to quickly change out of her costume. She returned a few minutes later dressed in a long black dress, just as the dancers started clearing out of the space to go meet their friends and family in the lobby.

"Ugh, I'd love to, but I have to stick around and schmooze with the board members and donors at the opening night reception," Lily said, adding a mumbled "You know how it is," to Killian and Emma.

The friends both nodded, knowing full well that it was a necessary evil for anyone running a non-profit organization.

"But, I can meet you at the bar later, if you guys are still there?" Lily offered.

"Actually," Regina interjected, "I was kind of hoping I could take you out to dinner," she said, turning to Emma. "And not at one of Robin's restaurants this time, although he'll probably be pissed I'm giving patronage to one of his competitors. A real date…no hiding."

"I'd love that," Emma smiled.

"Well, in that case, Killian, do you want to come join me at the reception? Free food and an open bar, and you might be able to find some donors for your company while we're at it," Lily suggested.

"I'm not one to say no to a free glass of rum. Have a good night, ladies," he winked at Emma and Regina. They watched him offer his arm to Lily and escort her out of the green room, heading back through the theater and toward the lobby.

"Umm….do you think there's something going on there?" Regina asked Emma.

"God, I hope not. That would be super awkward for me," she chuckled.

"So, dinner? I took the liberty of making reservations at St. Clair's," Regina stated.

"Oh, is that the new French-Italian fusion place?"

"It is. I know you like to load up on carbs after performances."

"Yes, please," she smiled, stealing another kiss from Regina. "Just give me a second to get changed," Emma quickly motioned for Regina to follow her into the women's dressing room, which was completely vacant. She finished taking out her bun and finger combed her hair before pulling it into a low ponytail. After staring at her makeup bag for a few seconds, she decided to keep her makeup as it already was, knowing it would take too long to remove the stage makeup and then reapply a lighter look. She quickly removed her costume, changing into the little black dress she had brought with her, just in case Lily demanded that she make an appearance at the reception. She picked up the bouquet of red and yellow tulips that Regina had sent her earlier in the afternoon for good luck. It was the same floral arrangement Regina had surprised her with before her performance back in Portland just a day after they first met. She smiled at the memory. "Okay, ready."

"You're really the master of the quick change," Regina laughed as she took her hand.

"I kind of have to be in this line of work. My record is under 30 seconds for a complete changeover, including tights. At least now I don't have to work around pointe shoes."

Emma led them to the stage door, poking her head out to make sure the coast was clear. She signaled the security guard who nodded his head and quietly spoke into his walkie talkie. Moments later, a valet brought the yellow Volkswagen Beetle to the alley. "Thank you," she said, slipping him an extra tip for bringing her car to the side exit.

 ***.*.***

Regina looked over from her spot in the driver's seat at her sleeping girlfriend. Despite Emma's protests that she was "just fine," Regina had demanded that she be the one to drive them home after dinner. Emma had only had one glass of wine, but that combined with the mountain of pasta she consumed during dinner, the exhaustion from dancing all week, and the adrenaline rush from opening night inevitably wearing off, Regina didn't trust that the blonde would make it home. "'Just fine' my ass," Regina chuckled under her breath as she drove toward their neighborhood. She frowned as the Bug stalled slightly, but she managed to keep it going as she continued down the road. She wasn't a novice when it came to manual transmission, but Emma's beloved yellow car had seen better days. She couldn't help but wonder if the blonde would let her replace it for her — maybe a yellow Beetle that had been built within the last decade would be a good start. She knew Emma didn't want her paying the way for her, as the blonde already seemed less than comfortable not paying real rent while living at Regina's apartment. But, the reality of their situation was that while Emma could get by on her meager salary from the company, teaching classes, and bartending at Locksley Bistro, even without Regina giving her a nearly free place to stay, Regina did make substantially more money than Emma did. Even though Regina was technically unemployed and had nothing lined up in terms of future roles, she still had three more convention appearances in the coming summer months and made more money in one day at a convention than Emma would expect to make over the course of two or three years. Regina mentally added that to the ever-growing list of awkward conversations they would need to have in the near future. Regina had no problem with Emma making less money than she did, especially since the only way someone would make more than she did is if she dated another actor…even Robin made less than half of what Regina did in a year. She just hoped it wouldn't become an issue for Emma as their relationship progressed.

She quickly shook those thoughts from her mind and focused on the road ahead of her as she turned onto their street. They had enjoyed a quiet dinner at a candlelit table earlier that evening, and both women were happy that they didn't have to hide their affections for each other anymore. They weren't overly affectionate, as neither Emma nor Regina were huge fans of overt PDA, but Regina appreciated that she could hold Emma's hand or kiss her cheek without a hundred people taking out their phones to gossip about it online and speculate what it meant. Instead, they only had a few of the typical curious looks and double takes that she had become accustomed to when people recognized her in public, along with a few eyebrow raises that she expected any same-sex couple might have to deal with anyway.

As she pulled into the detached garage behind the rowhouse that housed her apartment, she once again looked over at Emma, who was still slumbering soundly. She almost felt bad that she needed to disturb her so they could head inside. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over the center console, gently nudging the blonde's shoulder. "Emma," she said quietly. "Wake up, dear. We're home."

"Mmm," Emma mumbled noncommittally before burrowing her head deeper into the headrest.

"Emma," Regina said a little more forcefully. When that didn't work, she opened the door so that the overhead light would come on. "Wakey, wakey, Swan," said at a loud volume. She was tempted to honk the horrendous horn, but didn't want to disturb all their neighbors, as it was after 11pm on a weeknight.

"What?" Emma was startled awake, blinking open her eyes and squinting at the bright light.

Regina laughed at the confused look on her face. "We're home. Let's go inside and then you can go right back to sleep."

"Mmkay," she said, forcing herself out of the car. She reached into the backseat to pick up the tulip bouquet Regina had given her, wanting to get those into water so they wouldn't die prematurely.

There was a chilly bite in the air as they made their way from the garage to the back door of the building, and it was enough to give Emma a bit of a second wind…at least enough to walk up the flight of stairs to the second-floor apartment. "We're back," Regina announced as she opened the door.

"How was it?" Robin asked from his spot on the couch. He had a beer in his hand and his socked feet resting on the coffee table.

"Amazing," Regina smiled before smirking. "You're making yourself right at home, I see," she teased.

"I've been taking care of a very sick Gwen and Roland has decided that he no longer wants to eat meat, so he's refused to eat almost anything I've cooked. And he accidentally broke Henry's Xbox controller, so they've been fighting. It's been a trying week. Babysitting my own infant tonight was actually a nice, relaxing break from it all."

"Well, we do have a guest room if you want to crash here," Emma offered as she took her flowers into the kitchen to find a vase.

"Thanks for the invitation, but I should be heading home. I'm not sure leaving Henry and Roland with only an ill Gwen to make sure they don't kill each other was the best parenting call anyway," he said, standing from the couch and stretching.

"Is she feeling better, at least?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, a bit. She hasn't had any new pox dots in the past day or so, and her fever is coming down. She's mostly just itchy and still really tired."

"Well, I hope she feels better soon. Do you still think she'll be well enough to take Jessie back on Saturday or do you need us to keep her another day?" Regina inquired. Truth be told, she enjoyed having the baby girl in the house.

"Gwen shouldn't be contagious by then, so I'm still planning on coming by Saturday morning. Gwen misses Jessie like crazy, so I'm sure seeing her will make her feel a hundred times better."

"I'm sure it will," Regina nodded. "But, we're here if you need us."

Robin quickly ducked into the guest bedroom to give his baby daughter a quick kiss goodnight before returning to the foyer to put on his jacket and shoes. "Thank you again, both of you, for watching her this week," he said when Emma re-entered the living room.

"Our pleasure," Regina smiled.

"She's a great kid. We're happy to help," Emma added.

Robin gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek before bidding them goodnight.

After Regina closed the door behind Robin, she turned to face her girlfriend. "I know I already said this, but I can't get over it. You were absolutely stunning tonight, Emma," she said. "You're remarkable to watch. Inspiring."

"Thank you. And thank you for being there tonight. It means the world to me."

"There's no place I'd rather be," Regina replied, slowly approaching her girlfriend and leaning into her. Their lips had barely met when they heard the screaming wails of the infant in the guest room.

They both chuckled at the interruption, and Regina quickly excused herself to handle it. "I'll go check on her."

"Do you want help?"

"No, I've got it. She probably just needs to be changed or threw her stuffed bear across the room again and wants it back. Why don't you go draw yourself a nice bath and relax? You still have three more shows left to do this weekend and I know you're exhausted."

"That sounds heavenly," Emma nodded as she started walking toward the master bedroom. "Will you come join me when you're done with Jessie?"

Regina sent her a smirk. "Oh, absolutely."

* * *

 **A/N:** Next up: flash forward a few weeks to June and the ladies head back to New England Comic-Con, which happens to be the one-year anniversary of when they first met...I have the next few chapters fully sketched out (but not completely written), so I'm guessing it'll be about 2 weeks for the next update.


	12. Back to Portland — Part I

**A/N:** Surprise! Here's a very early update, as I had initially said I would update in two weeks, but it's only been a few days since my last update :). I got hit with a horrid cold, and so I laid around on my couch and wrote like mad now that I'm [almost] on break between spring and summer phd classes. I got everything finished much earlier than expected, so I thought I would post it early. Also, this chapter ended up being 3x as long as I expected (like, nearly 10k words compared to my usual 3-4k), because it turns out there's a lot to unpack here. So, instead of posting it all at once two weeks from now, I figured I'd post it in four shorter, more manageable sections throughout the next two weeks, as the original uberchapter spans five days anyway. (And actually, thinking about it now, the uberchapter takes place over the exact length of time as the original fic in this series did lol). After I post the fourth chapter in this grouping, this fic will officially be longer than the first two in the series, which is hard to believe.

* * *

 ** _Monday, June 11th, 7:30p.m._**

"I cannot believe this…" Regina said as she paced back and forth on the hardwood plank flooring.

"Regina, love, I know you're upset, but you're literally rocking the boat," Killian said as he sent a concerned look to Emma, silently pleading with the blonde to do something.

"Regina," Emma implored, stepping in front of her girlfriend and blocking her path. "Let's go downstairs and talk, okay? I love you, but you're making us all a little seasick."

Regina stopped and looked up into the green eyes before her, finally nodding in recognition. "Yeah, okay. Sorry."

"It's alright," Emma smiled, placing her hand softly on Regina's lower back and guiding her toward the stairs. They were in Maine for New England Comic-Con, which was scheduled to start the next day. They had come up a day early to visit Killian in Storybrooke and stay on his new houseboat that he had recently purchased. He had decided he wanted to try something new, and when a local fisherman retired and was selling off all his possessions so he could move out of state, Killian bought the gentleman's home and his docking rights at the harbor for a steal of a deal. Despite the house being an actual boat, it was quite comfortable inside.

Killian walked over to the fridge and pulled out three beers, bringing them over to Regina and Emma, who had just taken a seat on his leather couch. He sat down across from them in his captain's chair and kicked up his feet. "Now, can you explain to me exactly what the big deal is? I'm a little lost. People already know about you two, so why is this an issue?"

"We are open and out, so that's not the problem…" Regina started before diving into the story.

An hour earlier, Regina had noticed that her number of social media notifications was unusually high. At first she assumed it was in relation to the upcoming con, knowing that fans would tag her in photographs from previous appearances and mention how excited they were to see her in-person. But, she seemed to have too many notifications, even for a large upcoming event. After scrolling through her page, she saw it: a link to a well-known celebrity gossip blog with the headline: " _Frozen Mirror_ star caught in secret lesbian affair." She silently prayed that maybe it was a story about Ingrid and that she had just been tagged by fans so she would see it, but she knew that wasn't that case. After clicking on the link, she was redirected to the blog site with a screenshot of her laying on top of Emma in a passionate embrace on the floor of the yoga studio in Robin's apartment building. She didn't bother reading the text of the story at first, and instead she continued to scroll down the page knowing what she would find. And there it was: the video. It had been edited for brevity, as the original was nearly 45 minutes long, but the two-and-a-half-minute clip highlighted the most damning parts. Swallowing the bile she felt rising in her throat, she had forced herself to read through the article, which claimed that Robin had been Regina's beard the entire time, and an "anonymous source close to the actress" stated that the marriage was to help bolster her image amidst the lesbian rumors and in turn promote Robin's restaurants. It also featured pull-quotes, highlighting some of the bits of conversation heard in the clip, including Emma's: "You need to make the announcement explaining who I am, and we need some pictures or videos or something to make this look real," and Regina confessing: "I'm married to a guy I don't sleep with. I'm plenty connected to my body," when Emma had told her she needed to be more connected to herself to make her movements more fluid.

Regina was furious. There was no doubt in her mind about who was behind the video and who the "anonymous source" was — her mother. She would bet that Robert Gold may have had something to do with it, too, given the timing of the release. It would be just like him to release incriminating footage of her before one of her last major fan appearances. Gold was scheduled to attend the Comic-Con as well, and fans were angry that Regina was leaving the show. Between her announcement that she was bisexual and in a relationship with Emma and her departure from the show, fans were rallying behind her in droves on social media. Although Regina had taken the high road, publicly stating that she decided to leave the show to pursue other artistic opportunities and never suggesting that it was due to the network's reaction to her coming out, her fans weren't stupid. They were speculating the real reason behind it, and their hypotheses were extremely accurate, even though Regina would never confirm it. Gold was scared and worried that her fans might not continue watching the next season without her on it. But, a little bad press for her might make him look better. She could practically hear him say, "Look at this hot mess of a woman. Good thing we got rid of her before she took down the whole show with her outlandish behavior."

But ultimately, her mother was the one who had physically stolen the footage from her phone. And the woman had been too much of a coward to release the footage herself, so instead she had undoubtedly sold it to the gossip website. Once again, Cora was exploiting her daughter for her own personal gains. Really, Regina shouldn't be that surprised…it was Cora's M.O.

"I'm going to kill her. And Gold. They're dead," Regina declared after she finished telling Killian the story.

"I'm still confused," Killian said. "I get why you're both pissed at the invasion of privacy, but the date on the footage is from after you and Robin separated, so it's not like you guys did anything wrong. They aren't saying that you were cheating on him…"

"I know, but the speculation that he was covering up my sexuality…" Regina started, but she was quickly interrupted by Emma.

"Killian, will you excuse us for a minute?" Emma asked him quietly. He nodded and Emma took Regina's hand and pulled her into the guest bedroom where they were staying. She closed the door behind her and gently sat down next to Regina on the bed. "You have every right to be fucking furious with Cora and Gold. God knows I am, because this is a huge violation of our privacy. But, it'll be okay."

"You can't know that, Emma," Regina stated, finding her resolve and anger once again. "This could be disastrous. People are gossiping and getting far too close to the truth for it to be okay."

"Regina, listen to me," Emma continued. "The clip they have of us talking about coming up with an excuse to explain my role isn't the end of the world, because you weren't ready to be out yet and you and Robin hadn't announced your separation yet. That's easy to explain."

"But—"

Emma interrupted Regina's rebuttal, continuing her own argument. "And you never actually say anything on that recording that reveals that your entire marriage was a business deal. You only confess to not sleeping with him, and I imagine most separating couples aren't sleeping together at the end of their marriage anyway."

"But that video is from August, Emma…if the authorities find out that we lied about our separation date…"

"No one is going to find that out. You guys had separate bedrooms and you and Robin were barely there at the same time, so you were still technically living apart, enough for it to still count as part of the separation period. Everything still fits with the timeline you gave the judge at your divorce hearing."

"But Emma, my mother and Gold know. They released the video and anonymously made the accusations about the reasons for our marriage, so what's stopping them from revealing the full story? If my mother comes forward herself and says it, not as an anonymous source but as her, that will give the story all the credibility it needs. If they do that…"

"I don't know why they would. They'd gain nothing from exposing you like that. The fact that they said what they did anonymously makes it seem like they just want to create rumors and bad press, not completely destroy you."

"They don't need a reason to do it other than it would destroy me. They'd both take pleasure in that, and they're probably just easing themselves into it to make me sweat before they go for the kill. God, I'm fucked," she groaned, falling back on the mattress.

"Regina, for the sake of argument, let's say your mother does go to the media and gives a tell-all interview. Or, let's say Gwen and Robin break up and she gets pissed and goes and confesses everything you guys told her about your marriage to Robin. It will still ultimately be you and Robin against her, or you and Robin against Cora, or whoever else makes an accusation that it was all fake. As long as you and Robin always maintain that everything unfolded the way you've been saying it has, then you're fine. It will always be your word against theirs, and as long as you both stick to your story, no one else can ever prove otherwise. You guys are best friends and know everything about each other, probably even more than real married couples do. If the Department of Immigration comes after you thinking that you committed some sort of marriage fraud for your residency, you guys would have no problem passing whatever test they threw at you. And even if Robin gets pissed at you, he's not going to incriminate himself by straying from your story. They can't prove anything differently."

"But—"

"But nothing, Regina. You're fine. The fact that you adopted Robin's kids just adds to your credibility. If it was a fake marriage, most guys wouldn't offer up their kids as part of the deal. And if it helps, Killian doesn't see why it's a big deal. He doesn't know the truth about your marriage to Robin, but he knows more about us than your fans do. He doesn't think there are any big secrets being covered up here. He thinks that you and Robin were a happy couple until you split up and that you and I fell for each other. So if he believes your version of the story, even knowing us as well as he does, then I'm sure your fans will always believe you."

Regina sighed. "You know this is going to be a topic of conversation at the con, Emma. What am I supposed to say?"

"I would hope no one would have the gall to directly ask about it in any of your sessions. But if it comes up in a panel, just tell them it's your private life and you're not going to address it. Or, just say that you guys were already separated at the time the video was made. That stays true to the timeline and the story that neither you nor Robin were cheating. You can also say that we were already dating at that time if you want, but it was early and you weren't ready to announce the divorce or us yet. And then turn it around and blame Cora and Gold for releasing the tape."

"I can't blame him…not publicly. That might destroy the show and I still care about the people involved with it…everyone except Gold, anyway."

"Then just blame it on your mother. And for good measure, reiterate that you loved Robin and were very happy with him until you no longer were. You guys sold a happy marriage to your fans for five years…you can do it for a few more conventions, if needed."

Regina looked up at Emma, dumbfounded. "How are you so level-headed about this?"

Emma smiled as she shrugged. "One of us has to be. It's nice not to be the neurotic one for once...are you feeling better?"

"Not really, but I'm not feeling worse."

"I'll take it. Now, Killian mentioned something about some fish he caught earlier, so we should go let him cook for us."

Regina smiled as she used Emma's hand to pull herself up. "Thank you, Emma."

"Anytime."

* * *

 **A/N:** A few people had asked what would come of the tape Cora stole from Regina, so now you know! Part II of this con series will be posted later this week (working around the timing of the OUAT convention in Chicago, which I might be going to? Idk what's happening with that yet, honestly). The next chapter will be the next day/the kick off of the con. Thanks for reading, following/favoriting, and/or reviewing! It makes me happy that so many people are still on this journey with me and these two...it's coming up on the one-year anniversary of when I started writing the original fic in the series, and that's kind of crazy to think about.


	13. Back to Portland — Part II

**_Tuesday, June 12th, 8:30a.m._**

"Hey, Emma!" Regina called out the next morning.

The blonde immediately came back into the guest bedroom, her toothbrush dangling from her mouth. "What is it?" she mumbled.

Regina chuckled. "You look like you have rabies. Go finish brushing your teeth and then come back here."

"Okay, one second," she slurred as she left the room. When she returned a few minutes later, she sat next to Regina on the bed. The brunette was huddled around her laptop, looking at something on the screen.

"Check it out," she said, turning the computer toward Emma.

The blonde's eyes widened as a smile broke across her face. "Killian!" she immediately yelled, causing him to barge into the room.

"What's going on?"

"We're semi-finalists, baby!" she beamed.

"Seriously?" he asked, approaching the bed so he could see the screen. The production team for Celine Dion's tour had just tweeted out links to the top eight videos from the contest, and the film Regina and Lily had made featuring Emma and Killian was on the list.

"This is amazing," Emma sighed, the smile never leaving her face.

"You're amazing. You both are," Regina commented.

"Thanks to you and Lily," Killian added. "Seriously, Regina, the video shots and editing are incredible. That's all you."

The brunette smiled demurely, thanking him for his words.

"Now it's up to the fans, right?" Killian asked.

"Sort of. They vote for their favorites from these to get the top four. Then Celine will pick the winner from those," Emma clarified.

"Whoa," Regina interjected, looking down at her phone.

"What?" Emma asked.

"I haven't even had a chance to retweet the list and the link to vote yet, but I have 500 notifications. A fan account already tweeted it out and started a campaign to get people to vote for us. It's been retweeted like 300 times already, and the list has only been up for less than10 minutes."

"Sweet! So we're pretty much guaranteed to be one of the four in the finals then," Emma commented.

Regina raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I'd be very surprised if we weren't."

"Excellent. Well, I'll leave you to your morning. I'm going to go run and pick up some breakfast pastries from Granny's," Killian said.

"Thanks, Killian," Emma smiled, her stomach growling at the thought of the elderly woman's bearclaws.

"Anyway," Regina continued, turning to Emma. "What are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to go with Killian to rehearsal for EmKi and see how they're progressing with the piece I choreographed for them," she said. Not only did Emma want to see how her former company was doing, especially since she still was co-artistic director with Killian, but she also wanted to avoid the convention, at least for the opening day chaos. She knew fans would be expecting her to make an appearance, given that it was the same convention where she and Regina met the year before. "I'll hang out at the studio all day, and then head to your hotel and try to sneak into your room before dinner, when everyone is busy at the evening panels."

"Perfect," Regina smiled.

 ***.*.***

Regina was nervous as she sat backstage in the show's assigned green room, her leg bouncing up and down as she sipped the shitty decaf coffee supplied by the convention. _I should have stopped by Starbucks_ , she thought to herself, smiling as she remembered that her distaste for the bad convention coffee led to her impromptu Starbucks trip last year and ultimately her run-in with Emma. She couldn't help but wonder how her life would be different had she not insisted on going to Starbucks that afternoon between her scheduled appearances at the convention. It was something she didn't want to think about, because she couldn't imagine her life without the blonde.

The temporary reprieve from her anxiety quickly dissipated, and her nerves came rushing back to her as Robert Gold entered the room. He began to bark orders at his cast, but she ignored him. Despite everything he had done, she refused to let him ruin one of her last convention appearances. She looked over at Graham and Daniel, who were on their phones and holding back laughter as they occasionally glanced at each other. She realized they were probably texting each other, likely about Gold. They were both pissed, as neither of the men were offered contracts for the upcoming year. Mary-Margaret and David had both agreed to stay on with Ingrid and Hyde, but the rest of the cast would no longer be on the show in the upcoming ninth season. Tensions in the room were uncomfortably high, especially as Regina noticed that the room was divided in half. The returning cast had seated themselves on one side of the room, while Regina and the other cast-offs were on the other.

Regina caught Ingrid's eye across from her, and the tall blonde sent her a sympathetic smile. She looked miserable, even though Regina's departure and the newfound fandom obsession over Ingrid and Hyde's characters meant that she would be the undisputed star of the show. It was also the only reason the blonde was at the convention. Gold and the studio had intentionally kept Regina and Ingrid from attending the same conventions, or at least split up the days they would be in attendance, due to the fandom loving the "IceQueen" non-canon ship. But, Regina already had an existing contract with Comic-Con in place to attend, and Gold needed Ingrid there as one of the few returning cast members to promote what promised to be a shaky ninth season. He knew he couldn't control Regina's actions at the con as much as he'd like to, but he reminded Ingrid of her contractual requirements to only promote the canon "IceDoc" ship in her panels.

"Alright everyone, time to go for the full cast panel," Gold announced, capturing Regina's attention. "And I expect you all to behave like the professionals you are. I know not everyone is happy with the way things are playing out for next season, but if you know what's good for you, you will play nice. Do _not_ fuck this up."

Regina rolled her eyes and stood up as she glanced over at Daniel and Graham, who seemed to be as equally annoyed as she was. She took a deep breath to steady herself as she followed the rest of her former cast out toward the stage. _Let's get this over with._

 ***.*.***

"My question is for Regina Mills," a woman in the audience said near the end of the panel. Regina could feel herself tense up, anticipating whatever fresh hell was coming her way. Gold had failed to mention to the cast that the panels were going to be different that year, and the full cast panel Q&A session that afternoon would primarily be featuring questions from the press, not fans. As such, it was less of the boring, but safe questions about working with one another and their favorite thing about playing their characters, and instead, the questions went straight to the core of the chaos. Nearly every question she and others had been asked were about the changing of the cast and the lack of LGBT representation on the show. One online reporter had even asked Regina if her relationship with Emma and the show's blatant homophobia was the real reason she decided not to renew her contract. It took every bit of self-control Regina had to give her canned, politically correct (and inaccurate) response, instead of the resounding "fuck yes it was the reason" reply she really wanted to give.

"Go ahead," the moderator said, pulling Regina's focus back to the present.

As the journalist prepared to ask her question, Regina squinted to read the woman's shirt. _Of course,_ she thought to herself. The woman was wearing a t-shirt with the logo of the online blog that posted the leaked video. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.

"You recently announced that you're in a relationship with a woman, and a recent video appearing on our website confirms that your relationship with Emma Swan goes back farther than you have otherwise led fans to believe. It sure makes it seem that your marriage wasn't what it appeared to be publicly, which aligns with what our anonymous source has said. So, are you a lesbian? Was your ex-husband just a beard because you were afraid to come out of the closet? You have a lot of LGBT fans, so what do you say to those who feel betrayed because you've been lying all these years about who you really are?" the woman asked, a smirk on her face.

Regina didn't bother to hide her scoff or school her features, as she found the question entirely disrespectful and wanted everyone in the audience to recognize it as such. But, she had predicted someone would ask her a question touching on that, especially after the video, so she was prepared. Emma had helped her practice her possible responses that morning during breakfast. The fact that it was a journalist from the gossip blog who had been the one to ask didn't surprise her.

The brunette glanced over at Gold before she started to speak. He stared back at her expectantly, a sly grin crossing his lips. In that moment, there was no doubt in her mind that he had definitely been the one to encourage her mother to release the video. "Okay, I hope you guys in the audience are filming this and will upload it on YouTube for everyone else to see, because I am going to say this once, and only once, because it has nothing to do with the part I've been playing on TV for the past eight years, or whatever roles I may play in the future, and I am entitled to my privacy in my personal life."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Robin and I had a great relationship until we realized that we would be happier apart," she explained, which wasn't a lie. "It's that simple. And we are still great friends. He and Emma get along well, as do his girlfriend and I. Our main focus now is maintaining our friendship for the sake of our sons, who will always be our biggest priority."

Regina paused to allow the other journalists in the audience to take notes, while also hoping that by reminding them that there were kids involved, it might make them move on from gossiping about her personal life and her relationship with their father. As far as she and Robin were concerned, they never intended to tell the boys the truth about their marriage, and she didn't want the media making accusations that might make Roland and Henry start to question it. She loved them more than anything, and the last thing she ever wanted was for them to feel like she was only in their lives because she had to be for the sake of her career.

She then continued: "Yes, I had been involved with one woman — one— before Robin and I started dating, and he knew that — I never lied to him about that. I never specifically mentioned my sexuality publicly previously because my only other relationship with a woman was back in college, and it ended several years before I entered the industry. I never felt the need to label it or myself, honestly. I didn't really give it much thought other than I enjoyed the time I spent with her back then. I never spoke about her publicly, just like I never talked about any of my ex-boyfriends, either, because frankly, it's nobody's damn business who I may or may not have briefly dated 15 years ago. And after that relationship ended, I found myself more interested in men than women, so all of my relationships had been with men from that point on…until I met Emma. But back in April, I felt it was time, given my relationship with Emma and not wanting to keep her hidden away for the rest of my life, to come out as bisexual."

She took a breath, glancing around the room to look into the faces of her fans before she added, "I love our fans, and I know many of them identify with the LGBT community, so I truly hope that they don't feel 'betrayed,' because that was never my intention. As those who have gone through the coming out process know, for some people it takes time to figure out who they are. Sexuality is a continuum, at least that's how I think of it, and it can sometimes take time, or the right person or people, to realize where you lie. That's how it was in my case, anyway, though I imagine it's probably different for everybody. And I hope that this gives other people out there, regardless of their gender or whether they identify as gay, bisexual, pansexual, or something else, the strength to find and live their truth as well. But, I do ask that you respect my privacy, and Emma's privacy, and not exploit us, either. At the end of the day, we're just two people in a relationship, and honestly, it really isn't anyone's business but ours. But, we both felt it would be better to officially announce that we were together, rather than subject ourselves to speculation from fans and the media, so we wanted to put it out in the open. But, my sexuality is seriously the least interesting thing about me, so I'd much rather people focus on the work that I do, rather than the gender of the person I sleep with."

She paused momentarily, clearly shocked when several fans in the audience stood up and started applauding. They were quickly joined by the rest of the auditorium, including several of her castmates on stage — Mary-Margaret, David, Graham and Daniel were nodding and clapping their hands, and even Ingrid joined in, much to Gold's chagrin. She smiled shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned forward toward the microphone once more, debating her next statement. She didn't want to give more weight to the video, but the journalist had brought it up, so she felt backed into a corner. "And just to quickly address that video that I'm sure you have all seen: that was taken over the summer after Robin and I had already separated. We were both seeing other people by that point, but weren't ready to formally announce our separation to the world yet. We were still working through some logistical things for the sake of our kids, so we were still trying to keep up appearances to the public while we made arrangements for our next steps personally. As such, yes, Emma and I needed to have a story in place as to why she was in town visiting me, since people kept following us and photographing us together, which is how the dance coach story came about. But, as I'm sure you guys have seen by now, she's a phenomenal dancer," Regina said. She couldn't help but smile as she talked about Emma, despite the otherwise annoying situation that prompted the topic. "And so she did actually work with me to help prep me for the musical episode. As for the video itself, we had filmed our rehearsal on my phone so I could watch it back and see what I needed to work on to improve. And yes, there were a few moments where we got carried away. We had just started seeing each other at that point, so it was all new to both of us. The video was stolen off my phone by my mother, who has always been vindictive, when she and I went to lunch and she had a few moments alone to swipe it. What was on that video was a private moment not intended to be seen by anyone except for us, and even though it's not particularly scandalous in the grand scheme of things, I do hope that if you respect me, you will respect the fact that I wouldn't want people to see it because it was never intended to be shared, and therefore, I'd ask that you please not circulate the video further."

Once again the audience clapped as she finished her statement, leaning back into her chair and crossing her arms protectively over her chest. She pursed her lips in anger as she looked over at Gold, glaring at him. His sly grin was gone, but she could tell that he still thought he had the upper hand. She just hoped there wouldn't be more surprises awaiting her during the rest of the convention week.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that was part II of the four-part "uberchapter." A lot of folks have been asking about the contest, but enough time hadn't passed (until now) for them to find out the results. I love that so many people are invested in that outcome! And so, they're in the semi-finals! We will have to wait to see if they'll be finalists, and if so, if they ultimately win (and what would that mean for the little artistic four-some?)

Part III will be up in a few days (definitely not before Sunday night, but more realistically Monday or Tuesday), as the OUATChi con is going to be exhausting...and it's only day one. Plus I still have to grade student essays and do all my teaching stuff during what little free time I have. But, there's still much more to come, and I wanted to get this up for you before the weekend starts.

As always, I love to hear your feedback, and thanks for reading!


	14. Back to Portland — Part III

**A/N** :First off, OUATChi was super fun, but also kind of crazy (and apparently this one was tame/small compared to most. It's a whole new experience for me lol). I hadn't been to one before, and writing FF is really my only link to the fandom (I'm not active on Tumblr and aside from a few live tweets during episodes, I don't have anything about the show or actors on my Twitter). Writing is my main connection aside from bingewatching it on Netflix repeatedly, and it's mostly a venue for a creative outlet from the stresses of my daily life. But, that was an intensive 3.5 days, and it was really fun to see so many people from so many different places, ages, genders, ethnicities, experiences, etc. come together like that. It's quite cool. (I was working it, so it was fun to watch as an observer. I probably met some of you and didn't even know it!). And the panels were super entertaining. Lana is gorgeous in person (obviously), but she looks even younger IRL (or she had a really great makeup artist for the weekend). The rest of the cast was great, too, (and omg Gil is beautiful with his facial scruff), and everyone is super down to earth.

Also, not to be crude, but I seriously need the name of Lana's trainer and her workout regimen because I want my ass to look like hers did on Sunday. Posting this chapter now so I can go to the gym and do more squats.

* * *

 ** _Wednesday, June 13th, 6:55p.m._**

Regina snuck out after her last panel appearance the second day of the convention, deciding to completely forgo the party the network was throwing for all its shows that were attending Comic-Con. She figured there wasn't anything they could do about her absence, because it's not like they could fire her when she had already quit. The second day had been less hectic than the first after she shut down the gossipy reporter who asked the inappropriate question the day before, and for that she was grateful. It seemed that the audience took her demands to heart and knew better than to ask her any more invasive questions.

She had still been asked questions about her sexuality in her individual roundtable, but mostly as it related to her work and acceptance within the industry. One entertainment journalist had respectfully asked her if she was worried that her declaration might impact her career and what she would say to other actors who were on the fence about whether they should come out. She had simply responded: "It's hard to say because I haven't auditioned for anything yet since making the announcement, but I know in our society that it's still not easy being a woman who dates women, especially in Hollywood where it's still an Old Boy's Club in a lot of ways. Many producers and casting directors still feel that if a woman dates another woman, or a man dates another man, then they will no longer be believable as a straight character. But, I think that's bullshit, frankly. I don't think it's any different than hiring a married actor to play a single character — when I was married to Robin, I was still able to believably play that I was in love with Daniel and Graham on _Frozen Mirror_. And I'm not actually a murderous vampire queen, but I can convincingly play one, or at least I hope so, since that's what I've been doing for the past eight years," she had chuckled. "If casting directors could only cast actors who were identical to the characters they were playing, no movie or TV show would ever get made. It's called 'acting' for a reason," she had explained.

"As for what I would say to others in the industry, it's really up to them," Regina had continued. "I stand firm on my statement that an actor's personal life is their personal life. Yes, we're in the public eye, but who we are dating doesn't impact our on-screen performance, at least it shouldn't, as long as the person is good at their job. When I watch a film, I'm not thinking about who the main actor is married to or dating off-screen, but I am invested in what's happening on screen. I decided to come out because I was sick of feeling like I needed to hide and I was sick of rumors circulating, so it made sense to formally address them and then move on with my life, especially since my kids are at an age where they would inevitably see things fans were saying about Emma and me online. They've known about Emma and me since last fall, and I didn't want them to have to worry about keeping it a secret any longer. I also think that the more people who are openly out, the better it is to help reduce the stigma in Hollywood about gay or bisexual actors playing straight roles. And, if it can help anyone out there who may be struggling with accepting their own sexuality, or the sexuality of their son or daughter or sister or whoever, then that's a great thing, too. More visibility is never a bad thing, at least in my opinion."

"So, did you feel forced out of the closet because of the rumors about you, then?" another journalist had asked.

"Yes, in a way," Regina had confirmed. "Emma and I had been talking for a while about whether we should open up about our relationship publicly, and there were a lot of factors at play, one being that I was filming in Halifax for most of our relationship. I didn't want to announce anything until she and I at least lived in the same place for a bit and could be together like a regular couple to make sure things would work out with us. But that also meant that the rare times when I was in town, fans followed me and therefore saw us together, which led to more gossip and speculation. The fans know who my close friends are in town, and I was obviously spending much more time with Emma than with my other friends, and I didn't want to hurt Emma by constantly saying that she was 'just a friend.' So in that way, yeah, I did feel like if I didn't say something, someone would eventually get concrete proof of the extent of our relationship and 'out' us, and I wanted to be in control of how and when that happened. And to that point, not everyone is ready or wants to come out, so we need to respect those decisions, too, and let people take things at their own speed. Having lived through it, the constant gossiping and speculation from the fans was exhausting and stressful. I would never want to do that to another actor and tell them that they have to come out, and I hope that fans will consider that as well."

She had paused her soliloquy to take a sip of water before she continued. "And I would also tell anyone else in my position to be careful about their relationships in general, gay or straight. I learned my lesson with Robin about not setting boundaries and letting fans see too much of our relationship, living our relationship through social media and having him come to cons with me all the time," she had said, even though her entire marriage with Robin had specifically been intended as a very public relationship. But, she had wanted to lay the groundwork to let fans know that they would not be getting that same experience with her and Emma. She couldn't stand the thought of portraying her relationship with Emma on social media in the same way — what she had with Emma was real and too special to broadcast everything to the world. But she worried if she didn't, because of how open she and Robin had been forced to be by Gold, then fans would speculate about her relationship with Emma not being as strong or loving as hers and Robin's had been. She didn't want that added meddling in their relationship, so she wanted to make her wishes for fans to stay out of it very clear. "That made things much harder on us than they needed to be, especially at the end. When we were separating, constantly having fans scrutinize how often he and I visited one another, or whether I forgot to put my ring back on after filming before going out to dinner with the cast, or how often we interacted with each other on social media just added additional pressure and stress to our relationship. While I am openly dating Emma and I imagine she will come to various events with me when her schedule allows it, I'm not going to let others to get involved in our relationship the way I did with Robin. I know that there will be some pressure to be a positive representation of a same-sex relationship, since there aren't that many by comparison in Hollywood, and I completely get that. But, I'm going to intentionally be much more guarded this time, for our own sake. I'd advise other people in the public eye to do the same." The rest of the reporters at the table, and the journalist who asked the question, seemed satisfied with her response, and the rest of the roundtable interview had been smooth sailing.

While to formal convention events had gone smoothly, Gold, however, had been another story. His mere presence annoyed the hell out of Regina, and she had made it clear to him in no uncertain terms that if he as much as looked at her the wrong way, she would stop at nothing to take him and his show down, collateral damage in the form of other crew members and actors be damned. Instead of attending the party, she sulked back to her hotel room — oddly enough, the same one she had been assigned last year — with the intention of ordering a boatload of lobster mac and cheese room service and a bad pay-per-view movie, knowing it was all included in her convention appearance contract. She just wanted to gorge herself on the Maine delicacy and snuggle in bed with her girlfriend, zoning out from the stress of the day.

Emma had managed to successfully slip into the hotel unnoticed the previous evening while most con attendees were otherwise occupied, bypassing Regina's legion of fans who had hoped to get a glimpse of the couple together. Regina had been grateful the blonde was there, because Emma had managed to calm her down after she returned from the first day of the panel and the on-stage confrontation with the gossip blogger. "But I did betray them, Emma, that's what makes me feel even worse about all this," Regina had cried. "That blogger bitch is completely right when she said that I betrayed my fans by lying about who I am. She just doesn't realize that she's right." Emma had talked Regina down from her near panic attack, listening to her fears and reminding her that she had been coerced into the entire situation by her mother and Gold's tactics and that Regina hadn't done anything deliberately malicious. It had been a long night of stress-induced tears, but eventually Regina had fallen asleep in Emma's arms.

"I'm back," Regina announced as she walked in the room, closing the door behind her. "Oh, shit. Sorry," she said as she saw Emma roll over on the bed and wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"It's fine. I didn't mean to fall asleep. It's too late to be napping anyway," Emma commented as she forced herself to sit up. The blonde had woken up that morning exhausted after only getting a few hours of sleep herself. She ended up hanging around the hotel all day, since it was reserved only for featured guests of Comic-Con and she could avoid the masses, waiting for her girlfriend to return from the second day of con events. "How was it today?"

"Better than yesterday, but still exhausting. This whole week sucks," Regina said as she toed off the white heels she had been wearing and walked around to the bed, sitting on top of the covers. "Room service and a shitty Hallmark movie?"

"You read my mind," Emma smiled, reaching for the phone.

After the stress and anxiety of the previous 48 hours, a relaxing movie night, a bottle of wine, and Maine lobster and pasta were exactly what both women needed.

 ***.*.***

It was just before midnight that night when Regina looked over at her girlfriend, who was laying on her side with her eyes closed. Her breathing was even, but she could tell she wasn't asleep yet. Emma had once told her that ever since she quit touring with the ballet company, she had trouble falling asleep in hotels and that seemed to be holding true. "Emma?" Regina whispered, adjusting her body to fully face the blonde as she released a nervous sigh.

"Hmm?" Emma hummed, her eyes still closed.

"I want to have a baby."

"Oh..." Emma replied, opening her eyes to look at the deep brown gaze of the other woman. "Now?"

Regina nodded her head and pushed herself up into a seated position. Emma followed her lead and sat up as Regina flipped on the bedside sconce so they could better see each other. With the light illuminating them, Regina continued. "The timing feels right, you know? I'm 36, so if I'm going to do it, I should do it soon. I don't have any projects lined up right now, so it seems like a good time…" She paused to study Emma, gauging her reaction. "Have you thought about it anymore since I brought it up last month?"

"Of course I have. It's kind of hard not to think about, Regina. It's a big decision."

"It is…so, what are you thinking?"

"Honest answer?"

Regina nodded, chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for Emma's verdict.

The blonde quietly sighed. "Personally, I don't think that I'm ready yet. And you know I love you, but I don't know if _we're_ ready. We've only been together a year, not even, considering we didn't see each other for more than a week during the first three months of it, and up until recently it was all long-distance. This is the first real relationship for me, and your first real relationship in a long time…I don't want to rush into anything. We haven't even had much of a chance to just be 'us' together yet, so I don't know how we would raise a baby right now."

"Oh," Regina sighed, closing her eyes and trying desperately to rein in the tears she could feel forming behind her eyelids. "Makes sense," she conceded.

Emma reached out her hand to rest it on Regina's knee, giving it a soft squeeze. "But, I don't want my reticence to stop you from doing something you really want to do. I don't want you to resent me. If you want to do this you should do it, whether it's with or without me."

"Wait…" Regina said, confused. "What are you saying? Are you breaking up with me?"

"What? No. Of course not. God no," Emma stated in a panic. "I just…I mean, if you would want to do this regardless of whether or not I was in your life…if you would want to do this even if you had never met me, then you should absolutely do it. I don't want to be the one preventing you from having a baby, if that's what you really want. But if you want to do it because you want to have kids _with_ me, and only for that reason, then I think we should wait a little longer until we're both there."

Regina took a deep breath, processing Emma's words. "I see."

"Regina," Emma said, a little more desperately. "I love you. So fucking much. I want to be with you. And I have thought about it, and I would want to have kids with you someday. I'm just not there yet, and I honestly don't know how long it will take for me to get there. But, if you want to do this now, I'll support your decision. I just can't promise you that I'll be able to be anything more than like the cool aunt or godmother to the baby right now."

"And how would that work? We live together, Emma. If I have a baby, he or she will be in our lives 24/7."

"I know. But it'll be like when Henry and Roland are there. To them, I'm your girlfriend, but I'm not their mother. And I know a baby would be there all the time and not just a few nights per week like they are. I'm not worried about that part... I like babies, so I won't mind having one around."

Regina scoffed. "You 'won't mind having one around'? It's a child, Emma."

Emma shrugged. "Okay, maybe that didn't come out the way I meant it. I just meant that I will still want to live with you, even if you are raising a baby. I just don't want you to have these expectations of me as some wonderful mother who will be ready to jump into full-time parenting when the baby arrives," she said, brushing away a tear from Regina's cheek. "I'm just being honest."

"I know. I appreciate that."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. If you're not ready, then you're not ready. I'd rather you be honest about it than say you're on board when you're really not."

"I know. But I'm still sorry. I really wish I was there, but I'm just…not. Not yet."

"So you've said." Regina tried to give her a watery smile. "Thank you for being honest with me," she said, giving her a quick, chaste kiss before lying down with her back to Emma and turning off the light.

The tension in the silent darkness was palpable, the conversation weighing heavily on both women. Emma rolled over and hesitantly wrapped her arm around Regina's torso. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Uh huh," was the reply she received, though she could tell Regina was still fighting back tears.

"Are _we_ okay?"

"Yes, Emma," Regina stated, reassuringly patting Emma's hand that was on her abdomen before tucking her hands back under her pillow.

A few minutes later, she knew Emma was still awake, as she could hear her anxious breathing and feel the blonde shifting slightly behind her. "Emma?" she whispered to be sure.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be upset with me if I do it anyway?"

"What? No…as long as you're not going about it the old fashioned way," Emma said, trying to lighten the mood and shifting closer to Regina, resting her chin on the back of the brunette's shoulder.

It worked, and Regina let a small chuckle escape her lips. "Yeah, I'll pass on that method," she said.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Emma asked, bringing them back on topic.

"Because it will mean I didn't wait for you to be ready. I desperately want to have kids _with_ you, Emma," she said, echoing the blonde's earlier words. "But, I think I want to have a baby regardless now…well, in nine months or a year or however long the process takes."

"Then that's what you should do, Regina. I meant what I said. I don't want you to resent me if I make you wait, especially if it takes me so long to be ready that it's no longer possible for you to get pregnant. I don't want you to miss out on that experience because of me. But, at the same time, I don't want to you to resent me if I'm not ready when the baby gets here…I really don't want you to go into this secretly thinking and hoping that I'll suddenly change my mind and be ready by the time the baby gets here. I mean, it could happen, I guess, but I don't want you think that it will. I just really don't want you to be disappointed with me. If you do this, it should be the best thing that ever happened to you, you know?"

"Yeah," she sighed, rolling onto her back. "Fuck. I don't know what to do."

Emma propped her head up on her hand so she could look down at her girlfriend, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkened room enough to see the outline of Regina's features. "Look, you just really started thinking about this seriously since Jessie was born, right? When we get home, why don't you go talk to a fertility clinic or your OBGYN or whoever to find out about the process and what it entails, start looking at donors and all that? It's not like you're going to be able to go get pregnant tomorrow anyway. I imagine it'll take time before you actually get to the point of putting your feet in the stirrups and getting inseminated. You have time to think about it and make your decision."

"Yeah, you're right. And it's not a decision that should be made at the spur of the moment in the middle of a stressful situation anyway. I'll call my doctor when I get back and start from there." Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her hand seeking out Emma's under the bedspread. She smiled as she felt the blonde intertwine their fingers.

"Whatever you decide, I love you, Regina."

* * *

 **A/N:** Almost done with the uberchapter! The next chapter will flash forward to the day they return back home. Thanks, as always, for reading. I hope you're enjoying it!


	15. The Return to Montréal

**A/N:** People have some very strong feelings about potential Regina!baby in this fic, and I love that you guys have been so honest in your reviews! (Seriously, I do). To the anon who mentioned she's sick of Regina being the one pregnant and would rather it be Emma, I get it. I know people tend to go with Regina, so it'd be nice to see something different. So, I agree, but in this case, Emma wouldn't make sense because she's not unemployed (whereas Regina is), Emma has a limited amount of time in her performing career as a dancer before she'll be too old to do it, so she's not about to take a baby break, and Regina is 5 years older, so her bio clock is ticking more quickly. And to the others who said they're torn on a pregnancy/baby coming into play, I get that, too. I usually hate baby fics (IRL I'm not good with children bc I have zero experience and they terrify me. I've never had a maternal instinct toward anything that isn't fluffy with 4 legs), so I avoid reading baby fics, let alone writing them.

While I have the next few chapters planned out, I haven't decided for sure if a baby will actually happen. I have two different resolutions to that potential plot line in mind. If I do impregnate one of the two women in this fic, it would likely be the at the very end of the fic verse because I don't know how to write an actual baby into the fic permanently, nor do I really want to. I prefer not to deal with kids until they're at least 8 years old in both life and writing, so there's that haha. :P

* * *

 ** _Saturday, June 16th, 9:45p.m._**

They arrived in Montréal late Saturday night, deciding to come back early since Regina wasn't required to attend the Sunday morning closing panel that year. They had planned to stay through Sunday evening to visit with Killian in Storybrooke once more before heading back, but the week had taken a toll on both women. Even Emma didn't have the energy to stay an extra day to see her best friend again, and instead she promised him she would come visit the following month while Regina went to her last planned convention of the summer in Seattle.

Despite reaching a tentative resolution after their midnight conversation about Regina starting to explore the artificial insemination process, there was still an underlying tension and general sense of unease between the women on top of an already contentious convention weekend. Although Regina hadn't voiced it, she truly was saddened by Emma's response to her declaration that she wanted to have a child. She understood, of course, that Emma didn't feel ready yet, and Emma had said that eventually she would want to have a child together, indicating that she was at least thinking about their future and was committed to her. But, Regina also knew that when two partners were in different places in the relationship, even when they loved each other immensely, it often created problems. And that thought terrified her. She just hoped they would be able to work through it, though she knew she couldn't just turn off her desire to be pregnant, nor could she force Emma to be ready to take on the responsibility of a child.

And despite Emma's assurances, Regina wasn't sure if it was realistic to think that they could continue to live together if she had a baby and Emma didn't want to be the child's other mother — she just didn't see how that could possibly work. Would that mean that she would have to hire a babysitter or nanny to watch the infant if she had to go to an audition, even if Emma was home? She couldn't just assume that her girlfriend would drop everything to care for a child that she didn't think of as hers. That thought had been on her mind nearly every moment since their conversation, and in no scenario that she concocted in her mind did she see that ending well. She knew it would likely mean Emma would have to move out, and then what? That was a step backward in their relationship, not forward. She was grappling with whether her desire to be pregnant and have a baby was worth the risk of losing Emma, and conversely, if Emma was worth potentially giving up her desire to carry a child herself. She didn't want to think about it, so she tried to ignore it.

Meanwhile, Emma had become stressed as well during the remainder of their time in Portland. She had been confined to the hotel for the remaining two days of the convention, as the one time she attempted to leave on Thursday morning to go explore, she had been rushed by _Frozen Mirror_ fans outside the hotel entrance. Apparently, Regina's plea for people to respect her and Emma's privacy went ignored. Emma had promptly turned around and gone back inside, escorted by hotel security to keep the crowds back. Instead, she had spent her days binging reruns of _The Golden Girls_ thanks to a marathon on a local TV station, and when her body began protesting the lack of dancing and movement from the previous few days, she made use of the hotel gym and pool to work out her anxiety and frustration.

Regina had come back to the room each night more stressed out than the previous due to Gold's constant antagonizing, the on-going gossip about her decision to leave the show and the things she had said about her relationships in that first panel, and the general large crowds of fans. She ordinarily loved meeting her fans, but that time it was just too overwhelming to keep up the happy, generous persona she was known for, and while she was no longer on _Frozen Mirror_ , she still had to appease her fans so they would support her in her future work. With her future up in the air, she couldn't afford to let her irritation show and alienate the people who were largely responsible for her success.

For her part, Emma had done everything she could to support Regina, despite the unspoken tension between them. She had given her a long massage followed by a bubble bath in the large soaking tub one night, and the next night she offered to brave the crowds to go to the hidden karaoke bar they went to the previous year. Regina had declined, explaining that no one else from the show was going out that year — with half the cast not being asked to return and filming of the current season long since completed, things were awkward between everyone. In some ways, her castmates felt like strangers, the last two months of nothingness undoing the eight years they had spent together. Instead, the two women had ordered room service yet again and watched another movie, both falling asleep before 10pm.

It wasn't until Regina set her luggage down on the foyer floor of their apartment after getting home from the airport that she realized they hadn't even had sex the entire time they were gone. She counted back in her head and noted that it had been six, almost seven days, which was the longest they had ever gone when they were both physically in the same place. Sure, they had gone weeks without sex earlier in their relationship when they lived in different provinces, but whenever Regina had a break from filming and had been home for a few weeks, and since she had moved back to Montréal permanently, they had never gone more than two or three days at most. What was more troubling was that she didn't think Emma noticed, either.

"Emma," she called as she stood up and shrugged off the denim jacket she had been wearing, hanging it up in the hall closet.

"Yeah?" the blonde asked, walking out from their bedroom with a meowing Adagio in her arms.

Regina couldn't help but smile at the feline, who she had come to adore. "Glad to see Roland and Henry managed to keep her in good health while we were gone," she said, getting sidetracked. The boys loved the cat but weren't allowed pets of their own, so Regina had asked them (with Robin's supervision) to check in on Adagio while they were out of town, making sure the cat had food and water and a clean litter box.

"They did a very good job. She seems happy," she said, setting the tabby cat down on the ground.

Regina shook her head and refocused her train of thought. "Emma, do you realize we haven't had sex in almost a week?"

"What?" the blonde asked in shock. "That's not true."

"Isn't it, though?" she arched an eyebrow. "Think about it." Regina watched as Emma mentally thought back over the past week, trying to prove Regina wrong. But, Regina already knew that it had, indeed, been nearly a week. They had a quickie in the shower on Sunday morning before Emma had to leave for an audition she was helping Lily run for the studio's junior dance company, but they went straight to bed that night, needing to be on a 6am flight to Portland Monday morning. With the release of the video her mother had stolen and everything else that had happened, it completely slipped her mind. And sadly, it had been the one-year anniversary of the event when they met, so Regina had intended to make it special. She had even brought some new lingerie that was now buried at the bottom of her suitcase, completely untouched.

"Oh," Emma said in realization. "I…"

"Yeah," Regina sighed, moving to sit on the couch and resting her legs on the coffee table.

Emma groaned and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Regina asked, looking over at her. "It's not your fault."

"I…I don't know. I guess it just seemed like the right thing to say? And it is my fault that I didn't initiate anything…I mean, how pathetic it is that I gave you a massage and we took a bubble bath, and yet I didn't make a move?"

Regina let out a sardonic chuckle. "It's extremely pathetic, but that's on both of us, not just you. And it's not like I was in a super sexy mood with everything that happened this week. We were both so drained, physically and mentally."

"Oh God…is this what people mean when they talk about 'lesbian bed death'?"

Regina couldn't help but laugh. "Emma, it's been six days, not six months. I don't think we're there yet."

"I know, but still. For us, that's a long time."

"It is…but it's clearly been a weird week," Regina said as she yawned. "Shit, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go unpack and go to bed."

"Okay. I'm starving, so I'm going to make something quick and then I'll be in," Emma said awkwardly. She wasn't sure if Regina was hinting at something given their topic of conversation, or if she truly just wanted to go to sleep. It concerned her that it seemed she could no longer read Regina well. Normally they communicated so clearly, but Emma was suddenly questioning everything.

"Sounds good," Regina said as she stood up to retrieve her suitcase from the foyer, stifling another yawn as she did so.

 ***.*.***

"You're still up," Emma commented as she walked into their bedroom a half hour later. The room was dark, aside from the light coming from the screen of Regina's iPhone. The brunette was half-heartedly scrolling through something on the device. "The way you kept yawning I expected you to be passed out by now," she said as she walked into the walk-in closet to toss her clothes into the hamper. She returned moments later wearing one of her old dance company t-shirts and a tiny pair of Hello Kitty pajama shorts.

"So did I," Regina said as Emma climbed into bed. "But I couldn't sleep."

Emma couldn't help but see what was on her girlfriend's phone screen. "Regina…" she warned, seeing the thumbnail video of the video Cora had stolen and the banner displaying the gossip blog's logo. "You're going to drive yourself crazy. And don't give them the satisfaction of increasing the number of views their page gets."

She sighed and put the phone to sleep, tossing it on the nightstand next to her. "I know," she quietly replied. "I just still can't believe my mother would do that to me. Or that Gold would do that."

"I know," Emma agreed. "But you really did handle it well, Regina. I'm proud of you for what you said in that panel. And I think your fans are, too."

"Thanks," she mumbled as she used her finger to wipe a few tears of frustration that had started to make their presence known. "But it doesn't change the fact that I'm fucking pissed. I never should have agreed to go back to New England Comic-Con this year…not with Gold being there. It was my last real convention as part of _Frozen Mirror_ , and it should have been a celebration. Instead, it was a giant clusterfuck of a shitshow. I'm just so angry that this is how it ended for me," she vented.

Emma wasn't sure what to say to help Regina feel better, so she just shifted closer to her and reached for her hand, pulling the brunette a little closer. Emma wanted to leave it up to Regina to decide if she wanted space or if she needed to be comforted.

"I mean, I know I still have the Seattle con in July," Regina continued, "but that's a one-off small convention and I'm the only one from the cast going, so it's not the same thing." Regina wrapped her arm around Emma, resting her head on her chest. "And, this is the first time in nearly nine years that I haven't had a job, or at least something lined up. I literally don't know what I'm going to do next."

 _There it is,_ Emma thought to herself. She knew the reality of the situation would eventually sink in and that Regina would panic. Regina was very Type A and organized, and Emma knew that Regina hated not having a plan. Emma had tried to prepare herself for it and rehearse what she should say, but now that it was happening, she wasn't sure what to do. She could feel Regina's tears soaking through her t-shirt, so she wrapped her arms around Regina a little tighter, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

Regina quickly interrupted Emma's thoughts as her anxiety-induced rambling went on. "And it's not like I'm worried about money at all, because I was smart about my _Frozen Mirror_ earnings and could pretty much live on that and residuals for the rest of my life if I wanted to. But I hate being bored. I have nothing planned out, and that bastard Gold deliberately made me miss pilot season, so like, should I just go audition for local plays here in Montréal now or teaching acting classes at the community theater to bide my time until the next thing comes along? Fuck."

Emma could feel, more than hear, Regina's quiet sobs, her petite body shaking as she cried into Emma's shirt. She also noticed that Regina didn't mention anything about having a baby, which just a few days before had been her plan for her impending period of unemployment. Emma figured that either Regina was starting to have second thoughts about it, that maybe she was only seriously considering it because she didn't have anything planned for the next year, or that Regina was afraid to bring it up again, knowing how Emma felt. Emma assumed it was the latter, which frustrated her. She wanted Regina to feel like she could talk openly about everything, even when they weren't in agreement. She decided not to bring that up in that moment, pushing aside her own anxieties about that topic, and instead tried to remember all the things she had wanted to tell Regina when she had prepared for Regina's inevitable breakdown. "Regina," she started. "You are brilliant. If you want to do local theater, you totally can, but you don't need to. You've proven that you have an amazing eye for directing and editing, so you could explore that. You could write. You could start your own production company or talk with the various studios that have offices here about potential projects to get involved in. And just because you missed pilot season doesn't mean you have to sit out the whole season. You can still submit for guest roles on existing shows."

"No," Regina shook her head. "I've worked too hard to go back to being a serial guest actor playing Dead Hooker Number Two on all the _Law and Order_ franchises."

Emma softly chuckled. "I didn't mean playing a dead hooker. There are plenty of shows that hire well-known actors to come in for guest starring roles. You could be the opposing counsel rather than a murder victim. Or the aunt who comes in for a special event on a sitcom. Or a world-renowned trauma surgeon to help with a major case for a three-episode arc on _Grey's_."

"No one is exactly beating down my door to offer me those roles, Emma," Regina replied, sniffing back some of her tears.

"Not yet, but you haven't auditioned for anything yet. Have you talked to your agent about what you might want to do next?"

"Briefly. She's thrown my name out there for some stuff, but I haven't heard back from her yet. I'm starting to worry that playing the Queen of the Damned for eight years may have relegated me to a character actor. And I haven't received anything in terms of scripts or sides, aside from some screenplays fans wrote that they want me to bankroll and star in, which I'm obviously not going to do."

"Isn't it a little early for guest starring stuff anyway for next season?" Emma asked. "Everything's on hiatus right now."

"Yeah. Some of the early episodes will already be cast, but it'll pick up in August for the rest."

"See? You've got time."

"Maybe. I still don't like not knowing what the fuck I'm doing, though. I still can't believe they essentially fired me. I mean, I know I quit and it was my decision, but they were going to fire me, so I didn't really have a choice."

Emma felt Regina start to relax a bit against her chest, her harsh sobs reduced to barely-noticeable tremors. The blonde continued to cradle Regina's small body until the brunette finally cried herself to sleep. Emma had grown exhausted, too, after the week they had and their conversation. Emma's last thought before she drifted to sleep was that she hoped that Regina wasn't having second thoughts about quitting the show for their relationship and that they would be able to make it through the challenges that were clearly quickly emerging.

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, finally done with the uberchapter! And, yeah, there's some potential drama brewing (but this fic has been super fluffy, so it needed a little conflict). Hmm...

The next chapter is already written, but it might be 1-2 weeks before it gets posted. I have some other fics to start working on writing, I owe an update to H4H/Moments in Time, and I have finals coming up (both for my phd and for the classes I teach), so I don't want to post this too early.

Oh! And per some suggestions from readers, I joined FB and the SQ fanfic group. Feel free to find me on there. You can search me via the group, or you can try going directly to my page by adding katrina. decker. 100 (but without spaces after the periods) after the typical facebook URL. (And yes, Katrina is my full name, though I go by Kate on here, and Decker is actually quite close to my real last name. Just another reason why I've always loved Swingtown). I also created a writing twitter, though I don't know how often I'll use it: KatDeckerWrites is the handle.


	16. The Paternity Factor

**A/N:** Happy second-to-last Once day! :( Here's some SQ fluff (and important conversations) to hold you over until the show tonight. We're way ahead in the timeline now, but I'm not worrying about calendar dates in the fic aligning with calendar dates IRL anymore, because I don't want to keep you all waiting months between updates and I want to keep the story moving.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 ** _Wednesday, July 25, 8:15pm_**

"This is so bizarre," Regina commented as she flipped through the giant binder on the coffee table that was filled with the biographies of potential sperm donors she had printed out from the online database. "This is the weirdest window shopping experience I've ever had, and I can't even see what they look like. How do I know that what they say on here is even true?"

"I'm sure they vet them, Regina," Emma said as she sat down on the couch with her glass of red wine. Regina was sitting on the floor in front of her with a confused look on her face as she read another man's biography. Emma peered over her girlfriend's shoulder to see who the potential candidate was. "That guy claims to be an astrophysicist, so I'm sure they verified it before they let women think they're going to be carrying around a rocket scientist's baby."

"Probably. But still, how am I supposed to pick one? How do women do this?"

Emma shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person. This is like online dating, which I refused to ever participate in, but a hundred times more awkward."

"Not to mention this is a lifetime commitment," Regina mumbled under her breath.

Emma rolled her eyes and continued. "Just go with your gut."

Regina sighed and closed the thick binder with a thud, pushing it away from her on the table in frustration. "Maybe this is just a crazy idea. It feels weird to think about growing some stranger's baby in my uterus."

"Regina, it's your baby. The donor is just providing a needed ingredient."

"I know, but still. I really want to be pregnant, but this just feels too bizarre to me. Maybe this isn't the right path for me," she replied, despondent.

"So, are you thinking about adoption, then?"

"Maybe…But I'm not quite there yet. I still really want to have the experience of being pregnant and giving birth. I do want to adopt some day, but after I've done the pregnancy thing, since I only have a short window left for that."

"Then what about using someone you know?" Emma asked.

"Wouldn't that be even more strange than using a donor? Seeing the baby's father on a regular basis and knowing that he's the one who helped to create my child? That would be super awkward for him and for me."

"He's only the father if you treat him that way. Obviously, we'd have to talk to him and make sure he understands his lack of involvement, that he's just providing the required genetic material."

Regina's eyes widened. "You just said 'we'."

"What?"

"You said 'we.'…as in 'we'd have to talk to him', not that 'I'd have to talk to him'."

"Oh," Emma frowned, replaying her own words in her head. "Did I really?"

"Uh huh," Regina smirked, doing her best not to get her hopes up.

"Huh," Emma shrugged. "Anyway," she continued, not addressing it more than that. She hadn't caught her Freudian slip, and she wasn't really sure what it meant herself. She preferred to gloss over it for the time being. "What about Robin?"

"You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding."

"Why would I be kidding? You guys are good friends, he knows how much you love kids, and that way the baby would be a half-sibling of Henry and Roland."

"Well for one, I don't know if Gwen would agree to it, especially since she can't have any more kids after the complication she had during Jessie's birth. I don't think she'd want him impregnating his ex-wife, even though she knows the truth about our relationship."

"I don't think she would have a problem with it, but ultimately it's his sperm, not hers. It should be his call, and I think he would want to do it."

"Okay, but then there's the fact that he had a vasectomy."

"Yeah, tell that to Gwen and her four-month old."

Regina laughed. "Okay fair, but I think that was probably an extremely unlikely event. My gyno said the guy needs to be super fertile with great motility and all of that to improve the chances that it would take, and given how expensive this is, I want to make sure I'm using strong swimmers. I don't think Robin would meet that requirement, even if he wanted to."

"Well, he's clearly capable of producing sperm, as little Jessie proves. And he's probably super fertile, if he managed to get Gwen pregnant with only a few actually getting through the barrier, or whatever it is a vasectomy does to him internally. Maybe there's some medical way they can extract sperm from him, if he can't produce it in a cup like the rest of the donors."

Regina scrunched her face, but shrugged. "Maybe. And you might be right…it would make sense to use someone we know. That way we can be sure of their medical history, and not just what they write on these forms."

"If you don't want to use Robin, there's always Killian," Emma offered, taking another sip of her wine. "You two would produce good-looking kids."

"He's cute, and he's talented, but I don't know him that well. I don't know if I'd be comfortable asking him for that."

Emma chuckled. "Well, I could ask him for you, but yeah…maybe I'll save Killian for myself."

Regina raised a brow as she opened the donor binder again, picking up where she left off and still not liking any of the options. "Planning a bit ahead, are we?"

The blonde shrugged. "I don't want to be pregnant anytime soon since I still have a few viable years professional dancing ahead of me and I don't want to take time off if I can avoid it, but I'm not writing it off. The more I think about it, the more I think it might be nice…one day."

"Hmm…" Regina hummed, looking back at the binder.

"What?"

"I was just thinking… nevermind."

"No, Regina, what is it?"

The brunette turned around, resting her back against the edge of the coffee table as she looked up at girlfriend. "Promise me you won't freak out at what I'm going to say."

"Okay, I promise…" Emma replied, narrowing her eyes in question.

"It's just…if you think you want to be pregnant one day, and if we're thinking that we'll still be together at that time, which I hope is what we're both thinking, then should we plan to use the same donor so our kids are biologically half-siblings? That might be the closest thing we have to creating children together."

"Oh…I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Though biology isn't everything."

"I know," Regina smiled, thinking about Roland and Henry. She couldn't love them more than she already did, even if she had been the one to give birth to them. "But you even suggested Robin so that the baby would have the boys as brothers. And I like the idea of that connection, even if it's purely genetic. I like that idea for us, too, potentially."

"So you want to see if Robin can scrounge together enough sperm for not only for you, but for me, too?" Emma laughed. "God, just when I thought our family dynamics couldn't get any more insane."

"You're right. Forget it."

Emma laughed. "No, Regina, I'm not saying 'no.' I'm just saying that would be extremely complicated. And Robin's _your_ best friend. I really like the guy, but I don't know him like you do. Not to mention, I still bartend at his restaurant. It would be weird to have my boss' baby."

"Well, you probably won't still be moonlighting there in however many years we're talking down the line, so you'd know him better by then. And you said so yourself — he wouldn't be the baby's 'dad' in any non-genetic way."

"Maybe," Emma sighed, but then a smirk crossed her face.

"What?" Regina deadpanned, nervous for whatever was going on in Emma's head. She had learned to be cautious of that look.

"Maybe genetics are important for the babies, but not in terms of blood relation to each other."

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked, thoroughly confused.

"We can use both."

"You've completely lost me. Both what?"

"You could use Robin, and I'd use Killian," Emma suggested.

Regina said nothing and waited for Emma to explain whatever she was thinking. She was still not sure where her girlfriend was going with that line of thinking.

Emma rolled her eyes as she explained her thoughts. "We don't need to use the same donor, but we could use someone who resembles the other person. Robin is a blonde with light eyes, like me. Killian is a brunette with striking features, like you. Maybe with those pairings, the kids might end up looking like they could be both of ours, even without any genetic connection to each other. If I used Robin, yeah the kid would be related to Henry, Roland, and your hypothetical baby, but with Robin and me both being pale blondes, he or she wouldn't look at all like the other kids or like you. But if you throw Killian's gene pool in the mix with mine, and Robin's with yours…"

Realization dawned across Regina's face. "Oh…I see what you mean," she smiled as she considered it. "I like that idea. Plus, that way we would each get to use our own BroTP."

"Wait, did you really just say 'BroTP'?"

"I've learned a lot of fangirl slang over the years from fans of the show."

"Clearly."

"But Emma, in all seriousness, I have to ask…if you're even suggesting this as a possibility, does that mean your thoughts have changed since the last time we talked?" Regina asked hesitantly. Emma had been cautiously supportive of Regina's exploration of the process since returning from the New England convention, and she had even gone with Regina to one of the doctor's appointments to get the results of Regina's fertility tests. But, she hadn't given any indication that she had changed her mind about wanting to be a mother to Regina's child. As far as Regina knew, she was still on her own in terms of parenting the potential baby, at least for the first few years until Emma was ready to take on that role. "If you want the hypothetical baby I'm planning to have in the next year or so to look like you, does that mean you want to be involved as more than just the baby's mother's girlfriend? Do you want to have this baby _with_ me?"

Emma swallowed audibly as she thought it over. After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, she spoke. "Maybe? I'm still not completely sure, but then I assume that most first-time parents are never completely sure at first, either. I'm still utterly terrified and worried that we're not ready for this big of a step, but I have to admit, I am getting a little excited about the idea."

A smile broke out on Regina's face, and she could feel tears pooling behind her eyes. "Really?"

"Really," Emma smiled. "I love you, Regina, and I know it's not going to be easy on either of us or on our relationship, but if I'm going to be there anyway, and I do want to be there, then I think I want to be all in."

Regina released a breath. "Holy shit. So, we're going to do this?"

"It looks like it."

Regina rushed to push herself off the ground and onto her knees in front of the couch, resting one hand on Emma's thigh and the other on her cheek as she fiercely kissed the blonde. "I love you. So much."

"I love you, too," Emma smiled when they parted. "But before you get too excited and start planning baby showers and picking out colors for the nursery, you need to talk to Robin and ask him for some precious genetic material and make sure it's viable. Have fun with that," she winked as she stood up and patted Regina on the top of the head, then going to the kitchen to grab another bottle of wine.

"Shit," Regina said, realizing that she did indeed need to take that critical step first. "Pour me a glass while you're in there, please?"

"You better enjoy this now while you still can," she replied, handing her a glass of merlot with a smirk. "Can't have this when you're knocked up."

"Don't be smug…Just remember, you'll need to have this conversation with Killian eventually."

"Eh, no biggie. I'll buy him a bottle of rum and send him a _Playboy_ and a plastic cup and it'll be done in less than five minutes."

"I hate you."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm guessing some of you saw this coming, but hopefully not everyone , I want to make this clear, because I know it can be a sensitive subject: I'm not bashing women who choose to use anonymous donors (I know a lot of people who have used anonymous donors and prefer that route over using a friend. I also know a few who have chosen a friend over using an anonymous donor. It's a matter of personal preference, and one is not better than the other). In the canon of this story, though, it's not something Regina is all the comfortable with (there will be more explanation about that in the next chapter), and because of their strong platonic friendship, I had intended for Robin to be a possible donor for Regina [if he's fertile enough, that is], _if_ Regina and Emma decide to use a sperm donor. But, there are still a lot of things that would need to fall into place for that to even be a possibility.

The next chapter is already written, so my plan is to post it next Friday right before the finale, or on Saturday right after. In the next chapter, Robin will make a quick appearance as he's asked for a very important favor, and we also find out the final results of the dance contest :)

 **EDIT:** I'll post more in the opening A/N of the next chapter about this, but I did want to quickly clarify that even though our favorite ladies are talking about using Robin and/or Killian as a donor, it doesn't mean that will actually happen. There have been some strong mixed feelings in the first few hours of this being posted, and I totally understand and respect that (and I'm glad that this provoked strong feelings for readers, even though some of them weren't great feelings). But, please know that regardless of if they have a baby and who the biological father of that baby is, Emma and Regina are endgame, and there's no chance of any hetero-romance coming into play ever in their future. So, I hope you'll hang on for the rest of the ride, or at least until the final decision as to how the women will become mothers together is decided. Just because they chatted about it here doesn't mean that it will definitely happen this way. :)


	17. Flash Forward: Mother's Day 2021

**A/N:** Surprise! I didn't plan on writing this chapter, but I woke up with an idea and quickly got this down on paper for you all. So, please enjoy this little bonus update, a Mother's Day flash forward full of Swan-Mills family fluff!

But first, thank you for your comments on the last chapter! It seems to have created a pretty strong divide between people totally loving the possible paternity thing and people hating it (which I kind of like that my writing has become controversial? That's a first, and it's kind of nice to spark such strong feelings, even though I obviously would have preferred it if everyone had been overjoyed about it). A few anon reviewers indicated that they'll no longer be reading because they don't want Robin [or Killian] to donate, and if they happen to read this note, I can understand that and I'm glad you were honest about it, so thank you. I truly appreciate that you were all polite and respectful about it in your comments, even though you disagreed with the direction it appears that I'm taking the story. I'm sorry to see you go, but thank you for reading up to this point, and I hope you'll give other stories I write a chance. I do want to say, though, that there are still a lot of unknowns – just because they proposed the idea of Robin/Killian during their conversation in the last chapter doesn't mean that will ultimately come to pass (a lot can still happen).

To assuage the worries of any readers who may be concerned that they're even considering using the guys, I want to reiterate that their relationships with the guys have always (and will always) be purely platonic. Regina never thought of Robin as her husband in any way that would undermine what she has with Emma, as she was never in love with him. Killian and Emma have never been involved in any sort of romantic relationship at any point in their history in this universe. I will not be using paternity as a point of angst or conflict between the women. In this case, it would literally a friend helping out a friend. And most importantly, it felt like something this Emma and Regina would at least consider given their friendship with their BroTPs in this verse, so I felt like I would be remiss and unrealistic to not include that as a possible option.

And, as will be discussed in the next chapter, in no way would any donor have a fatherly role to Emma and Regina's baby (nor would he play a role in the pregnancy experience. His involvement would end as soon as he makes his donation). _If_ a baby comes along via donation, it will be 100% SwanQueen!baby in every way. (We'll see more of Regina's reasoning for not wanting to use a stranger in the next chapter, too. There's a more complex backstory to it than just wanting to use a friend, and she's even a little weirded out by the idea of using Robin). But if that's not your cup of tea, I totally understand that, too.

So, I hope you'll still stick around and give it a chance. Not every chapter will mention pregnancy-related things, since there are other things happening in their lives, too. They're still very much in the early discussion and planning stages of the whole having a baby together thing. I'd encourage you to keep reading, or if you're still hesitant right now but would otherwise be interested in seeing how this fic turns out if it weren't for the possible Robin sperm aspect, peek ahead to the AN at the end of Ch. 20, which reveals which path I chose. You can read that note and then decide if you want to keep going.

But if you do decide to end the story here, I do thank you for reading up to this point.

Sorry, that was so long-winded. But anyway, if you're still with me, enjoy this flash forward full of Mother's Day fluff, set 3 years in the future.

* * *

 ** _Mother's Day 2021, 8:45am._**

"Crap!" Roland shouted as he frowned at the mess he made.

"Shhh," Henry scolded as he looked at his brother. "You're too loud. You're going to wake them up."

"You worry too much," Roland rolled his eyes as he returned to his task of cracking eggs, using a paper towel to clean up the egg he dropped on the floor. "They can both sleep through anything now."

"Are you almost done?" Henry asked, peering over the shorter boy's shoulder.

"Yeah, here you go," he said, handing the big bowl of eggs to his brother.

"Thank you." Henry quickly placed his finely-chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli into the bowl, gave it a quick whisk, and then split it between two cast iron skillets on the stove. "It should just take a few minutes for the omelets to cook. Can you go grab the cheese out of the fridge?"

Roland nodded as he did walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out the pepperjack for his mom and the cheddar for Emma. Henry handed him the grater so he could get to work shredding the cheese to use in the omelets, while the older boy poured the hot water from the tea kettle into the French press, hoping that the eggs and coffee would be done at the same time so neither would get cold.

Henry watched as the eggs started to cook, and taking a spatula to loosen them around the edges, he expertly flipped the eggs with a flick of his wrist and the pan. Roland watched on in awe. "I still don't know how you do that. I tried it once and it splattered everywhere. Mom banned me from using the kitchen for a week."

Henry laughed as he repeated his actions with the second omelet, gesturing for Roland to hand him the cheese. "Dad taught me. It takes a lot of practice." He waited a few more minutes for the cheese to melt, and then plated the two large omelets alongside the edible flower that adorned each plate. Roland quickly added a few strips of bacon and a handful of fresh berries to each plate as well, and he poured the coffee into matching "I heart my Moms" mugs they had given the women the year before for Mother's Day.

"Can you go get the girls?" Henry asked as he set both plates and coffee cups onto a large wooden tray.

"Yep," Roland smiled as he walked toward the stairs leading up to the second floor of the large Victorian-style home, while Henry walked carefully behind him, balancing the heavy tray in his hands. As soon as he had turned 15, he started helping out at his father's restaurants, bussing tables and occasionally hosting when it got crowded. He gradually moved into a server role when he gained a little more experience, and had even assisted with small tasks in the kitchen. He was quickly becoming interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry, hoping one day to continue the Locksley legacy. In his two years at the restaurants thus far, he had become quite coordinated when it came to balancing heavy trays and maneuvering around obstacles. But nonetheless, it was a special day and he would have hated to ruin the surprise, so he was extra careful navigating the stairs.

By the time he reached the top, Roland emerged from one of the bedrooms with his two little sisters flanking his sides. Ava had just turned two the week before, and she sleepily rubbed her eyes with one hand as she held onto her brother's hand with her other. The youngest girl, Bella, rested her head on her big brother's shoulder as he carried her on his hip. "Ready?" he asked looking at Henry.

"Yeah. Can you get the door?" he asked nodding toward the master bedroom. "Oh, and make sure you knock first," he said, his face distorting in distaste briefly as he remembered far too many times when he had burst into the room without giving the women fair warning.

Roland cringed, as he had been subjected to that fate as well on more than one occasion. "Ew." He temporarily let go of Ava's hand as he brought it to the door, knocking three times.

"Come in," he heard his mother's voice call through the door.

He slowly turned the knob, bringing his free hand to cover his eyes as he stuck his head through the door. "Is everybody decent?"

"Yes, dear," Regina laughed as she pushed herself to a seated position, the blonde next to her echoing her movements with a blush on her face. Emma was still embarrassed by the few times they had been interrupted, not used to having kids around that would barge in unannounced. Regina had assured her that scarring their children for life was simply a rite of passage for parents.

"Happy Mother's Day!" Henry called as he followed Roland into the room.

"What's all this?" Regina asked as she tried to see what was on the tray in Henry's hands.

"Your breakfast," Roland smiled. The younger boy helped put his two sisters up on the large bed, while he sat down on the end of the bed to make room for Henry and the tray.

The girls immediately started crawling toward the food, and Roland had to hold them back. "No, girls, that's for your mommies."

"Hungry," Ava said, pointing at the tray as Bella crawled back to her brother's lap.

"I'll share," Regina said, holding her hand out for the girl to take. The girl's blue eyes widened as she smiled, happily crawling toward her mother.

Bella watched on in wonder and confusion, still clinging to her brother's side.

"What about you, Bella?" Emma asked, laughing at the girl's curly blonde hair that was falling out of the braid they had put it in the night before. "Is it too early to introduce her to a hair straightener?" Emma joked.

"Don't you dare. I love her curls," Regina commented, sending a glare in Emma's direction before taking a bite of her omelet. "Oh my God, this is amazing," she said, genuinely.

"Thank you," Henry smiled.

"Seriously, your dad needs to use you in his kitchen more. I think his weekend brunch sous-chef is starting to slack off a bit. You should step in and show him how it's done," she said, breaking off a small piece of the egg to feed to her daughter.

"Your mom's right, kid," Emma added, already having devoured half of the omelet and all of her bacon. "This is incredible."

"Thank you," Henry said again. "So, is there anything you want to do on your big day?"

Emma looked over at Regina, unable to stop the smile from gracing her lips as she watched the brunette cuddle the still-sleepy toddler in her arms.

"Not in particular," Regina said, meeting Emma's eyes and smiling before looking over at their other daughter, who had finally left the safety of her brother's arms and was crawling toward the now-empty tray with curiosity, grasping for the fork.

Emma quickly grabbed it and moved it out of her reach before leaning forward and picking up the girl, who chuckled "Mama" as she was brought into the blonde's lap. It wasn't the first time Bella had said that word, but it still made her heart flutter every time she heard it. "I'm content just to stay here all day," Emma added. "Especially if you guys want to clean the house so that we don't have to do it," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Oooh, yes," Regina confirmed turning to her boys. "I like the sound of that."

"Umm…" Roland started.

"How about a movie and pajamas day instead?" Henry quickly offered.

Regina laughed and looked around at her family. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed the fluff! And a little spoiler, as now you know that Regina and Emma will still be together in 3 years (hopefully that was obvious anyway) and that they have two young daughters, though how that came to happen is still to be revealed.

The next chapter will return to the regular timeline and be full of awkward conversations and the contest results! I think you might be surprised by what happens with that, because I love a twist :D I'm also going to try to start updating this once or twice per week, because I have a lot planned for it and really want to wrap this up this summer, and my schedule is going to get insane very soon. I keep putting off starting a new fic, and I want to start working on that, so I think I need to get this one completely written before I do. So, expect more frequent updates.


	18. Awkward Convos & Intriguing Emails

**A/N:** I'm glad you guys liked the surprise flash-forward :) For all of you still with me, now we're back to regularly scheduled programming.

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 7, 2:15pm**

It took two weeks for Regina to find the nerve to talk to Robin about possibly donating his sperm so she and Emma could have a baby. They had seen each other plenty over the past few weeks, dropping off the kids at each other's homes, and even having a birthday party for Roland at a local waterpark. For being reluctant about becoming a mother, Emma had kept pushing Regina to ask him. But, Regina kept chickening out. She was admittedly hesitant about it, constantly going back and forth between loving the idea and thinking it was too dysfunctional, even for them. Finally, she decided to at least talk to him about it that Tuesday afternoon. Emma had offered to go with her for moral support, but Regina felt it was something she should approach alone, at least initially. If he agreed, there would be plenty of opportunities for discussion among the three of them later on.

Regina had asked Robin to meet her for a late lunch, so she stopped by Locksley Bistro during his afternoon break. They were having lunch on the second floor of the restaurant, which had been closed off after the lunch rush ended and wouldn't reopen until the happy hour and dinner crowds started showing up a few hours later. Regina took a few bites of her watercress salad and a sip of her cider to help calm her anxiety. As she exhaled in preparation to speak, Robin beat her to it.

"Regina," he said, appraising her from across the table. "Why did you really ask me to lunch?"

She chuckled. Of course he would be able to tell there was something going on with her. He had learned a lot about her in their five years together as co-parents, best friends, and fake spouses. "Sorry, I'm nervous."

"I know. I can tell. What's going on? Is everything okay with you and Emma?"

"Oh, absolutely," she smiled. "Everything's great. Better than great, actually."

"Oh, good," he commented, taking a bite of his bison burger. "So, what is it then?"

"Well, Emma and I have been talking about the future," she started, absentmindedly toying with the fork in her hand, spinning the handle between her fingers. "Our careers, our relationship, continuing to live together, and everything that entails."

"That's great," Robin nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Thanks," she said quietly. "One of the things we have been talking about a lot as of late is our plan to eventually have more kids."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Emma's not ready to have kids herself, personally, given that she's still dancing professionally, and being pregnant and giving birth isn't really in the cards for her right now. But, she said that she would like to be pregnant some day."

"And what about you?"

"Well you know I never thought I'd have kids of my own. But, ever since I realized last summer that you and I would be ending our marriage and as things continued to progress with Emma and then me leaving the show…I can't stop thinking about it. And given my age, I mean I know I'm not ancient, but I need to do it relatively soon if I'm going to try."

He smiled at her. "What does Emma think?"

She let out a breath. "She was hesitant at first…a bit freaked out. She wasn't sure if we were ready as a couple to have kids together, given that our relationship is still quite new and we're still learning what it's like to be together full-time now that we aren't living halfway across the country from each other. But, things have been going remarkably well, despite a few hiccups and fights here and there, but we've learned how to work through it. We've talked it over a lot over the past few months, and she says that she wants this and that she's all-in if I want to have a baby soon."

"That's great, Regina," he said. "I think you'll both be terrific mothers…hell, you already are."

She smiled at that, before shifting in her seat. It was time for the awkward part of the conversation. "Yeah…So, that's where we're at now. I've met with a fertility doc who verified that everything seems like it's in working order and that I should realistically be fine for the next year or two, at least, if I want to try."

"That's promising," he commented.

"Yeah. It's a relief to know that there's still some time so I don't have to rush, but since I'm not working at the moment, it seems like it could be a good time to do this."

"Makes sense. So, have you already started the process?" he asked, suspiciously eying the glass of cider she'd been nursing since they sat down.

"No, not yet. We have a giant binder of donor possibilities at home that I've been looking through, but nothing feels right. It feels so impersonal, which I get that it should be, because it's not going to be the donor's baby. But I'm still not totally comfortable with that method."

"I have always thought it was a bit odd that men would randomly donate sperm, not knowing how many potential genetic offspring they might have walking around," he added.

"Right," she said, stabbing a piece of tomato with her fork and taking a bite. "That's kind of my thought, too. I think it's amazing that the option exists for women who wouldn't otherwise be able to have a child of their own, but personally, I don't know if I love the idea of my child potentially having siblings they don't know about, especially because the sperm bank is local so they could all be in the same class or something. And I know I'm just being paranoid, but if somehow confidentiality was breeched, I don't want the genetic siblings or the donor to try to contact us, given that I'm in the public eye and have a lot of money. I know the chances are slim, but given everything that has happened with my mother, I wouldn't put it past her to somehow use her connections to find out who the donor was, and then to somehow use that against me as a last-ditch effort to manipulate my life. Which is why I'm thinking the whole anonymous sperm donor thing may not be the right decision for me…or for Emma and me, rather."

She watched as his eyebrows lifted a bit at that declaration. She figured he may have been predicting where the conversation was headed, so there was no turning back. "We talked about adoption, too, because we both like the idea of giving a child a home who really needs it. But, we're thinking that could come later. I still really would like to have the experience of being pregnant and giving birth. So...God, this is awkward," she mumbled, taking another gulp of her cider before deciding to lay it all out on the table. "I'd rather use someone I know, so that way I know about other siblings, medical history, et cetera. And I was kind of hoping you might consider being the donor."

"Oh," his eyes widened, causing Regina to think that maybe he hadn't expected that question after all. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're my best friend, and this way the baby would be a genetic half-sibling to Roland and Henry. I don't know who else I would ask for something like this…maybe Killian, but he's not my first choice since I don't know him as well."

"And Emma is okay with you using your ex-husband's sperm to get pregnant?"

"Well, it's not like she's capable of providing what I need in this case. And it was actually her idea," she answered. "It's not like I'd actually be fucking you to do it. It would have to be through IVF, regardless. I spoke to my doctor and even with your vasectomy, it's still possible to retrieve the sperm needed. And clearly you are still producing viable swimmers, given little Jessie's existence."

He winced. "Dare I ask what sperm retrieval entails?"

"You could try the regular donor method first…the whole 'doing it in a cup' thing," she said, blushing a bit. "Since you got Gwen pregnant, you're clearly capable, but the doc says that it is unlikely that there'd be enough for what would be needed for a regular insemination procedure. So, if that wouldn't work, then they would do a needle extraction. It's quick and the recovery is supposed to be super easy. I would have to do the full in-vitro procedure instead of insemination, but I don't care about the added cost and recovery on my end."

"Hmm," he hummed noncommittally.

"So, what are you thinking? Have I completely scared you off?" she nervously laughed.

He chuckled, but said nothing.

"Look, Robin," she started. "I don't need an answer right now, or even this week or next week. Take some time and think about it. And talk to Gwen, because I'm sure she'll have some strong opinions, especially because my baby would be Jessie's half-sibling from a genetic standpoint."

Realization donned across his face at that. "Right."

"I know that it's complicated," Regina said. "Which is also why we would have to establish ground rules and make sure we're all on the same page – you, me, and Emma… and Gwen, since she'd inevitably be part of this decision from your perspective. I don't even want to consider this if we aren't all in agreement from the get-go, or if this would cause problems between you and Gwen."

He took a sip of his water, silently wishing he had ordered a scotch instead. But, he was still technically on the clock. "And so what are you thinking? How would this work?"

Regina took a deep breath. "As far as I'm concerned, even though we're friends and co-parents to the boys, this child would be mine and Emma's. In that regard, you're the donor, so it would be no different than if we used an anonymous donor. You would just be doing us a favor by giving us the sperm we need. All decisions regarding the child are Emma's and mine alone. You don't get a vote in anything relating to the child."

"Would the kid know that I'm their father?"

"You'd only be the father biologically, Robin. You would have to be okay with not being involved as a parent."

"That's what I meant."

She nodded contemplatively. "So initially, I don't think I'd want to reveal to anyone who the donor was, both because the media and fans would have a field day if they found out, but also because it would overcomplicate things and probably confuse all the kids. We could talk about revealing the truth to the child later on in his or her life, but right now I would say not until they're 18, or until they start asking questions incessantly and Emma and I deem it appropriate. If we were going to reveal your identity, we would ask you first to make sure you're okay with it. Donors through the sperm bank have to sign a form indicating whether they want to be truly anonymous or if the child can find out the paternity information when they turn 18, so we would give you that same option. But ultimately, it's up to us and the child to decide if he or she wants to know. You wouldn't be allowed to reveal that, ever, no matter how old the kid is. And legally, we'd make you sign something agreeing to all of these stipulations."

He bit his lip as he nodded, letting her words sink in. "So, I would not be involved whatsoever."

Regina sighed. "From a parental standpoint, that's right. But Robin, it is complicated, because realistically, you're going to be around any kid I have, even if you don't donate, given that Roland and Henry are still many years away from turning 18. So, it comes down to whether you would be okay with regularly seeing a child that is genetically yours, but who you have no legal right or moral or financial obligation to. I totally understand if that would just be too weird for you. I won't be offended or upset if you say 'no' to this. If you have any doubt about it, then I don't want you to agree to it."

"And what about Emma? You said she wants to have a kid some day, too, so does that mean…"

"No," Regina shook her head. "That came up, and we talked about it. We wouldn't be opposed to having the same biological father for our kids if we decide to go that route, but we wouldn't expect you to commit to letting us use you twice for that purpose. She's actually thinking of asking Killian for herself. He's her best friend, and if I use you, that way our kids each have one blonde and one brunette parent. We figured it might make our kids look more like 'ours.' "

"I see," he nodded.

She took the last bite of her dish and placed her cloth napkin on the table next to her plate. "Anyway, it's getting late. I should let you get back to work, and I have to pick up Roland from day camp soon. Take some time and think about it, talk to Gwen, and if you have more questions let me know. If you are considering it, you, Emma, and I at the very least should sit down and talk about it more."

"Absolutely, Regina. And I am considering it, but I do need time to think about it and to talk to Gwen," he said, standing up as she did the same. He pulled her in for a quick hug and kissed her cheek. "Have a good time with the boys tonight."

"We always do."

 ***.*.***

"Well?" Emma asked Regina as soon as Roland escaped to the guest bedroom to go play video games. Henry still wasn't due back from his friend's house until later, so the two women had a bit of time to themselves. The blonde was freshly showered post-rehearsal and was relaxing on the couch with a glass of lemon water. "How was lunch?"

"It was okay…"

"Just okay?"

"Well, he didn't say 'no,'" she sighed. "But he didn't seem thrilled by the request, either." Regina quickly gave Emma the Cliff's Notes version of their discussion.

Emma frowned slightly. "So, how did you leave it?"

"He's going to think about it and talk to Gwen. He said he'll let me know."

"Did he say when he would decide?"

"No. I didn't give him a deadline because I don't want him to feel rushed. But, I think it's worth continuing to look at anonymous donors just in case, and maybe think about approaching Killian, too. If Robin says no, or if it's not feasible with him, I think I'd prefer Killian over a stranger, given the idea of Cora lingering at the back of my mind. I don't think I can risk using an anonymous donor, even if the chances of her exploiting that are nearly zero."

"We can keep that in our back pocket if needed. But, let's give Robin time. Maybe if we don't hear from him within a week or so, you can ask him what he's thinking or if he has more questions. That way you're not pressuring him, but you can get a better idea of where he is on things."

"Yeah…God, this is so stressful."

"I know," Emma said, rubbing Regina's back. "I wish the technology existed to not require sperm for this, but I don't think modern medicine is quite there yet."

 ***.*.***

"Emma!" Regina shouted as she sat on the couch the next day, her feet propped up on the coffee table and her laptop resting on her thighs.

"What is it?" the blonde asked as she pinned the last few bobby pins into her hair, holding her bun in place. She was getting ready for another long day of teaching at her company's pre-professional summer dance intensive.

"You know how the results of the video contest are supposed to be announced this week?"

"Yeah, but not until Sunday morning," Emma said, moving behind the couch to rest her elbows behind Regina's head. "It's only Wednesday."

"Right. They haven't announced anything yet, but I just got an email from her team."

Emma perked up. "And?"

"And, it was a courtesy email. We're not going to win—"

"Wait, you called me in here to tell me we lost?"

Regina chuckled. "No. You didn't let me finish."

"Sorry," Emma said meekly.

"They said that everyone on the team liked our video the best, but because of my involvement and 'celebrity status,' they didn't think it would be fair for us to win. They think that people will cry foul play because of my fans getting us into the finals and that people will think you guys don't need the recognition, because everyone knows who you are now anyway. Which, frankly, is bullshit, because you guys did all of the work and deserve it, and would have won if it weren't for me. But, they want to give it to an emerging artist who will be able to use this as a huge launching point for their career, which I can understand."

"So you did call me in here to tell me we lost."

"I _still_ wasn't done. Stop being so impatient, dear," Regina scolded. "So, they won't let us win the prize of having the video shown on stage at the show or bringing you guys to perform with her on a tour stop. But, they do have a counter offer."

"A counter offer?" Emma asked.

"They said," she cleared her throat as she read from the email: " 'We were extremely impressed by the artistry of the movement, the choreography, the performance, and the film as a whole. We would love to offer your team the opportunity to choreograph and perform in the music video for her next upcoming single, scheduled to be filmed in October in Montréal. If you are interested, then please reply back and we can set up a time to discuss compensation and logistics.'"

"Wait, seriously?" Emma leaned closer, trying to read over Regina's shoulder.

Regina smiled. "Yep. Which, is actually a much better prize, in my opinion. The music video will be there forever. The concert prize would've been limited to just the tour exposure."

"Holy shit. That's amazing."

"Right? I don't know what they're thinking in terms of compensation, but if it's at all reasonable, you guys should absolutely do it."

"Hell, I'd do it for free," Emma confessed. "But I probably shouldn't tell them that."

"No, you definitely shouldn't," Regina stated.

"But wait, what about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you be involved in the video?"

"Oh, I doubt it. I'm sure they have much more qualified videographers and editors than my novice skills, and it's not like I'm a choreographer or dancer. This is all you guys."

"I don't want to do it unless you're involved," Emma replied. "You were part of the team, and you're the reason the final product looked so amazing."

Regina turned around on the couch and sent her girlfriend a disbelieving look. "Emma, that's ridiculously noble of you, but you're an idiot. You're not turning this down just because there isn't something for me to do in this project. This would be a huge win for you, not to mention for Lily and Killian. Think about what this would do for your individual performing and choreography careers, plus both of your companies would benefit from it, too. I appreciate the supportive girlfriend act here, but it's really not necessary."

Emma sighed. "Okay. But, promise me you'll advocate for yourself? Maybe not as a camera operator or editor, but you should ask to direct it, or have some sort of cameo, or something."

"I'm not qualified to direct a legendary singer's music video. But, I would like to be there so I can learn from it."

"Good. Plus, I'm sure you'll have some brilliant ideas in terms of what choreography will look best on-screen, so Lily and I could always use you for that. You deserve some sort of credit on this."

Regina rose up onto her knees to be at eye-level with Emma, placing a kiss on her lips. "Fair enough. Now, finish getting ready and then we should probably call Lily and Killian and let them know the good news."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed and that you like the outcome of the contest! (And I hope that it was a surprise. So far no one who gave me predictions guessed correctly). I'm still going to try to update this twice per week, so the next chapter will be up on Sunday. Up next: Robin meets with Emma and Regina to give them an answer and Regina starts thinking about what's next in her career when a new potential opportunity arises.


	19. Decisions and New Prospects

**A/N:** I still can't believe OUAT is over. I had seen all the spoilers and call sheets, but I still wasn't prepared. I plan to keep writing SQ stories as long as the motivation is still there for me (which it will be for the foreseeable future), and I plan to keep reading fic as well, so lets keep this community alive. As such, here's an update a day earlier than I initially said, because my schedule tomorrow is insane and I'm worried I won't be able to post it otherwise.

* * *

 ** _Thursday, August 16, 1pm_**

"Hi, Robin," Emma smiled as she opened the door to the apartment. "Come on in."

"Thank you, Emma," he said as he toed off his sandals. "Regina in the kitchen?"

"Yep. Lunch is just about ready."

"Perfect," he said, walking down the hallway toward the back of the home. "It smells great in here," he commented as he walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks," Regina smiled as she put the freshly sliced grilled chicken onto the bread and quickly threw them on the panini press before walking to the fridge. "Beer?"

"Sure, thank you."

He hovered by the island as he watched Regina plate their sandwiches while Emma quickly jumped in to help and carried the large bowl of Caesar salad over to the table. He followed her lead and sat down in an empty seat. Regina quickly joined them, placing three sandwich plates on the table.

Regina watched as Emma and Robin both helped themselves to the bowl of salad, but she was too nervous to even think about eating yet. She felt her leg bouncing under the table and forced herself to take a deep breath. "So, Robin…" she started, wanting to start the conversation. Robin had called the night before asking to meet with the women the next afternoon. She and Emma had talked after they hung up and prepared themselves for him to say 'no,' as they figured he would have just said 'yes' over the phone if that had been his answer. He was a gentleman, so if he was going to turn them down, he would be one to do it in person.

"Right," he said, taking a swig of his lager before getting into the reason for his visit. "You know Gwen and I have been talking about what you asked," he started, watching as both women nodded. The two couples had sat down the previous weekend over tea to discuss the hypothetical logistics, and once again Regina and Emma reiterated that Robin's only involvement would be in the actual sperm donation. After his trip to the fertility doctor, he would not have a role in anything having to do with the child moving forward. "She doesn't love the idea, admittedly…she finds it a bit strange, but she said it's my call. She does seem okay with it, though, and I know how much you both want to start a family together, so I would be honored to help you do that."

"Oh my God," Emma teared up and was the first to speak, surprising everyone. "Really?"

He looked over at the blonde and smiled. "Yes, really."

Both women stood up and rushed to hug him. "I can't thank you enough, Robin," Regina whispered in his ear as she felt both his arm and Emma's around her.

"Like I said, I'm happy to help. I know it's a bit unconventional—"

"A lot unconventional," Regina clarified with a laugh.

"Yes. But, you will both be amazing parents. Your kid is going to be insanely lucky to have you as their mothers."

 ***.*.***

They finished eating lunch and both women felt like a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders, knowing that they were one step closer to starting a family together. "Okay, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go teach," Emma said as she stood up and put her plate in the sink. She quickly kissed her girlfriend goodbye and patted Robin on the shoulder as she walked behind him, thanking him again for agreeing to donate.

Robin let out a sigh as he heard the front door close. "That was really good, Regina," he commented, absentmindedly rubbing his stomach. "I'm quite full now."

"Well, you're helping Emma and me have a child, so I'm happy to cook lunch for you every day for the next year as a thank you if you want," she chuckled.

"That won't be necessary, but I appreciate the thought," he said. "Actually, there was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about, and why I wanted to meet in person today."

"Oh?" Regina asked, moving her plate to the side and leaning forward on her elbows.

"I have a proposition of my own."

"Oh God, should I be worried?" Regina asked, only half joking.

"No, nothing like that," he laughed. "I know you've been taking a bit of a break since you decided to leave _Frozen Mirror_."

"You could say that," she mumbled. She had gone on a few auditions for short arcs on existing television shows, but nothing had come of it. She was trying to stay positive about it and remember that she was planning on being pregnant soon anyway, but the rejection was still frustrating and a blow to her ego.

"Are you interested in a new project?"

She raised a brow and leaned back, draping one elbow on the back of the chair. She wasn't sure where Robin was going with this, given that he had no ties to the entertainment industry other than through her. "Well, it depends on what it is."

"I've been approached by a small lifestyle production studio that's putting together a new cooking competition show, and they're hoping to sell it to one of the major Canadian networks or to an online streaming service to air next spring or summer. They're describing it as something like _Masterchef_ meets _Iron Chef_ , where they would have amateur home cooks partner up with established chefs from Canada's best restaurants, and they would all compete against one another in weekly challenges. Each weekly winner would then come back for the semifinals, and that would continue until an ultimate champion team is crowned. They want me to be one of the judges for it and a producer."

"Okay…"

"Well, I don't know anything about the TV world, other than what I witnessed secondhand through you. I wouldn't even know where to begin with being a producer. Judging I could handle, but producing…"

Regina chuckled. "Robin, in this case, producing more or less means they want you to help finance their little project."

"Well, that much I figure out," he scoffed.

"Ok, so what's your question, then?"

"Well first, I could use your help reading the contract they offered me, just to make sure it seems fair."

"You should talk to my lawyer about that. She would know more than I would."

"Well obviously I'd have an entertainment lawyer look at it before I sign it, but I could use your help in terms of making sure it seems decent up front, before I even get to the point of hiring someone."

"Of course I'll take a look at it," she replied, still not sure where this was going. "Is that what you wanted to propose? That I look over an offer letter for you?"

"Well partially, but no…I wanted to know if you would be interested in being involved in the show. I don't know these people from Adam, and I would feel more comfortable about being involved financially if you were part of it. It would help it feel more legitimate, knowing that there's someone credible tied to the project. I obviously don't have a ton of details yet, but if I accept their offer, especially to have a producing credit, I'm sure I can negotiate and say that I'll only sign on if you're part of it…if you want to be, that is."

Regina hummed as she thought about it. She hadn't considered reality television, but she had been thinking about more behind the scenes work. The dance film project she had done with Emma, Killian, and Lily had whet her appetite for directing, and she had gotten Celine's team to agree to let her be an assistant director for the upcoming music video (in addition to a small cameo part in a group shot), so that she could learn more about that process. She knew she wasn't ready to take the lead on a full film project of her own yet, nor did she have the experience to talk her way into larger opportunities, so something small and local could be a low-risk way to build up her experience and confidence. She had been talking to the friends who had loaned her the camera equipment for their video contest entry about possibly getting involved in some of their documentary work, but it wasn't her first choice. "So what are you thinking? How do you see me fitting into this?"

Robin shrugged. "It depends. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to convince them to let you host, if you were interested in that. God knows that would help them sell it to the network and get viewers. You've been interviewed so many times so I'm sure you'd be able to interview others well, and you learned enough about the food industry from being my fake wife for five years that you would know what you're talking about if you're sampling a contestant's dish or asking them about the marinade they're preparing. You could give Alton Brown a run for his money."

Regina bit back a chuckle as she rolled her eyes, but the idea did appeal to her.

"Or," Robin continued, "if you're interested in having more of a producing role or directing, that might be possible, too. I just wanted to throw it out there as an idea."

"Hmm. I can't say I'm not intrigued," she commented. "Send me whatever information you have on it, including the offer they made you so I can look at that regardless. Depending on the studio and the viability of it, I might be interested."

He smiled. "Good. I thought you might be, and it could be fun. There's no guarantee that it'll even go anywhere. They're talking about making a demo pilot-type episode to pitch it and see what the response is, so I think that's their first immediate step."

"Sure," Regina nodded, standing up and taking their empty dishes into the kitchen. Robin immediately grabbed the remaining glasses and salad bowl and followed her to the sink. "Thank you for thinking of me," she added.

"Of course. I figured it might be of interest, since I knew you loved working on the film you did with Emma, and if it is picked up it'll be local and the filming won't take more than a few hours each week. So, it shouldn't be too stressful if it overlaps with your pregnancy."

"That would be a bonus. Send me the info, and I'll look it over and talk to Emma about it."

"Absolutely," he said, noting the time on the microwave behind Regina. "Oh, I need to head into work. Thank you for lunch, Regina."

"You're welcome. And thank you, Robin," she said as she walked him out. Closing the door behind him, she couldn't help but smile. She was hopeful about the project he mentioned, because it did sound like it would be just enough to keep her from being completely bored during the next few months, but without causing her too much stress. And, it would potentially give her a new experience to help her decide what projects to tackle next. But mostly, she couldn't wait to start her family with Emma. If someone had told her a year or two ago that this would be her life, she would have never believed them, but she couldn't be more excited.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, this is one of many potential projects I have in mind for Regina. I know the past two chapters were light on SQ and a little heavier on Robin, but the next chapter (and most from this point on) will be all SQ. I have no immediate plans for either Robin or Killian to physically show up in any of the future chapters. In the next chapter, we'll find out for sure if Regina and Emma will use Robin's donation, as there will be a small time jump forward. I'm envisioning maybe 5 or 6 more total chapters in this fic, for now anyway.


	20. Family Planning

**A/N** : I generally dislike specific trigger warnings appearing on chapters when I'm reading because I don't like to know what's going to happen in the chapter and have it spoil it, but I know many people need them, and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Out of respect to readers I am going to put one on here just in case. (And since it's clear at the very start of the chapter, it's not overly spoiler-y for those who wouldn't want a warning).

 **TW:** fertility discussions.

* * *

 ** _Monday, September 17, 3:25pm_**

"I can't believe this isn't going to happen for me," Regina cried into Emma's shoulder as they cuddled on the couch. They had arrived home from the fertility clinic a few minutes earlier, where they had received the news neither woman wanted to hear. While Robin's extracted sperm sample had been "good enough" to serve the required purposes, the egg retrieval process for Regina had not gone according to plan. Despite the initial hormone tests indicating that she was likely fertile, it seemed as though Regina wouldn't be able to produce the quality of eggs needed for the process. Even with the pre-IVF drugs to stimulate the release of extra eggs during her cycle, they were only able to obtain five potentially viable eggs, compared to the 10 or 15 they had expected. When the doctors then fertilized those five with Robin's sample, none of the embryos resulted in the quality needed for the transfer portion of the IVF process. Her physician explained that they could try again, but given that Regina was otherwise exceptionally healthy, and therefore there likely wasn't an underlying nutritional or stress-related cause that would be reversible, the most likely explanation was that her eggs were not going to be capable of creating a child. He had offered to discuss options with the women, but Regina was too heartbroken to hear anything more at the moment, so they had left his office.

"I know, babe," Emma said, a tear of her own silently running down her cheeks as she cradled her girlfriend in her arms. "But, it doesn't mean we can't start a family together. There are other ways…" Emma started. She was about to add 'I can always try in a few years', but decided to let those words remain unsaid, as she was concerned that might upset Regina more. She knew Regina was devastated, and she worried that mentioning her own fertility might be rubbing salt on the wound.

"I know, but God, I wanted to have that experience of being pregnant, you know? I know I never really thought about it or wanted it until recently, but once I did, I wanted it desperately. Now that I know it won't happen, I've never wanted it more," she said, hiccupping between her sobs.

"Do you want to give it another try?" Emma asked hesitantly. "I know Dr. Whale said it probably wouldn't work, but is it worth one more attempt?"

"No, I don't think so," Regina shook her head. "I don't think I can put myself through that again, and he seemed pretty certain that it was a lost cause." The fertility drugs they had given her had made her extremely sick, and more importantly, she wasn't sure she could handle hearing that her eggs were 'low quality' yet again. She had told Emma on the nearly silent drive home that she felt broken, even though she knew she shouldn't think of herself that way. She knew there were hundreds of thousands of women who were in the same situation as she was, and it didn't make any of them less of a woman because they weren't capable of having children. But even so, it was still hard to swallow.

"Okay," Emma nodded, kissing the top of Regina's head. She desperately wished she could do more for the other woman, but she was at a loss for what to do, aside from letting her grieve. And, she was also trying to come to terms with the news herself, as she had become extremely excited by the idea of being the mother to the child Regina would carry. But, she knew her loss paled in comparison to what Regina was feeling, so she pushed it down and would work through it later. She needed to focus on supporting Regina.

The brunette quieted down and then sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I should call Robin and let him know," she said stoically.

"You don't have to do that right now, Regina," Emma offered.

"No, I do. I want to get it over with. He knew we were going into the doctor today, thinking that I was going to get the IVF transfer done. He should know it's not ever going to happen," she said, standing up from the couch and retrieving her phone from her purse on the table in the foyer.

Emma nodded as Regina sat back down on the couch next to her, pulling up Robin's name in her contacts. She lightly rubbed her hand in circles on Regina's back as the brunette explained to Robin what had happened. Her description sounded so clinical and detached, but Emma assumed that was the only way Regina could speak about it without completely breaking down. As soon as Regina hung up the phone, she laid herself down on the couch, resting her head in Emma's lap as she allowed herself to cry once again.

 ***.*.***

"Regina," Emma said six days later as they sat down for breakfast. Regina was slowly coming to terms with what the doctor had told them, but she was still undoubtedly upset by the news. They had continued talking about what the doctor said, but they hadn't discussed any next steps yet.

"Yeah?" Regina answered, looking up from reading the newspaper on her iPad. "What's up?"

Emma bit her lip, hesitating whether to broach the topic that soon. She had an idea, and she hoped Regina would be open to it, or at least not offended by it. "Do you want to talk about other options?"

Regina shrugged before looking back down at her iPad. "There are really only two at this point: adoption or you being pregnant, and I know you're not ready for that yet, so there's not much to talk about."

Emma took a breath. "What if there's a third option?"

"There isn't," Regina said with finality.

"Yes, there is."

"What?" Regina looked up. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay, don't be angry with me, but I went to see Dr. Whale yesterday after my rehearsal, because I had an idea and wanted to see if it was even possible before I mentioned it to you. I didn't want to get your hopes up."

Regina narrowed her eyes as if to say 'tread lightly'.

Emma continued. "You're right: I'm not personally ready to be pregnant. But, that doesn't mean that I can't help you get pregnant."

"What?"

Emma chose her words carefully as she continued to explain her idea. "When we were in his office the other day, he said the issue was with the eggs they retrieved, but not with your uterus. Theoretically, then, you should still be able to carry a child. What if…what if I donated my eggs? It would be like a hybrid of egg donation and what he called gestational surrogacy, and that way you could still be pregnant and have that experience. My bun, your oven, so to speak."

Emma watched with baited breath as Regina considered it, the brunette's face not revealing anything. Eventually, Regina's lips curved into a small smile. "You would really do that?"

"Of course I would, Regina. I love you, and I want to start a family with you."

"Well, then, I kind of love that idea."

The blonde exhaled in relief. She had legitimately been worried that Regina would be upset that she even suggested it. "Really? You do?"

"Yeah. It means I would get to carry _your_ child, and that sounds like a pretty amazing option."

Emma smiled. " _Our_ child, Regina."

"Even better," Regina grinned, but her smile started to falter. "Are you sure this would work?"

Emma shrugged. "No…There aren't any guarantees, and technically Dr. Whale couldn't tell me anything more than he did when he gave us the news because of doctor-patient confidentiality, so he couldn't get into specific details without your permission. But, I asked him hypothetically if a woman in a similar situation to you could use an egg donor and still carry a child, and he said that often the answer is 'yes.' Even women who have had their tubes tied can be surrogates, so it might be worth a try. He told me to have you make an appointment after we talked about it, if you're interested in exploring this option. I know he already did some preliminary tests before you went through the IVF cycle, but he would want to recheck to make sure. While I was there he did a quick exam and preliminary blood tests to make sure things looked good on my end, and they do. I know that isn't definitive, and I'd need to do the same ovulation treatment you did to produce enough eggs, and then they would have to check to make sure they're viable. But, he wrote me a prescription so I can start the drugs almost immediately, since my cycle will start in three days, if we want to give it a try," Emma said, nearly out of breath from her rambling.

"It's worth a try," Regina said, but then she frowned. "But wait, what about the risks? Your mother…"

Emma sighed, as she knew what Regina was about to say. Her mother had passed away from an aggressive form of ovarian cancer when Emma was just a teenager, and Dr. Whale had told the women prior to Regina's cycle that the hormone treatments required to for the egg retrieval process did significantly increase the risk of ovarian cancer, although it would still be a very small risk in the grand scheme of things.

"With your family history, I don't want you putting yourself at risk," Regina said, shaking her head. "Not just so I can be pregnant."

"I told him about that," Emma replied. "He didn't seem overly concerned. He said it's not enough of a concern that he would caution me against it entirely, because there's not that much research out there yet. Almost all the research is strictly looking at infertile women and not egg donors, so they think the increased risk may be tied to infertility and not necessarily the drugs. And not to get too clinical, but since my mom passed away suddenly and they didn't even know she had it, they did a bunch of tests after her death and she was positive for the BRCA 1 gene mutation. They tested me and fortunately I don't have it, so he doesn't think the family link is as pivotal here. But regardless, he said that the risk would decrease if I end up getting pregnant in the future, which is what we're planning for eventually anyway, so it'll all balance out. He recommended avoiding repeated cycles of the hormone injections, but one or two shouldn't be too great of a concern."

"Emma, no..." the brunette shook her head.

"Regina, I've thought about this, and I know the risks. He said they can also start doing screenings for it every year, just to make sure that if something were to happen, they catch it early, unlike with my mom. I really want to do this for you, Regina…for us. Please, let me do this."

"One time," Regina conceded. "You do one cycle and one cycle only. Whatever we can get from that is what we use. I'm not letting you put your health at risk for this. If it works, then great, but if it doesn't, we'll wait until you're ready to carry the child using a regular artificial insemination process without hormonal treatments, or we adopt."

"Okay. One time," Emma compromised.

"And you start doing whatever screenings exist for ovarian cancer immediately afterward and as often as the doctor recommends, no matter the cost. And go on birth control or whatever drugs might help lower your risk," Regina continued listing off her demands.

Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you. I know you think I'm being ridiculous, but I don't want to do anything that might make me lose you, Emma."

Emma smiled. "I know. Dr. Whale assured me that this shouldn't be a cause for concern. I wouldn't do it if he was worried about it."

"Okay," Regina exhaled, excited but trying not to be too optimistic. "So, who would we use as the donor then, if it's your egg but I'm carrying it?"

"Well, we had said that we'd use Killian when it came time for me to get pregnant. But if you'd prefer Robin, or an anonymous donor, that's okay with me, too. All I care about is getting to raise a child with you, Regina. I don't care who provides the other half of the genetic material to make that possible."

"Do you think Killian will agree to donate? I still don't want to use an anonymous donor because of potential confidentiality issues, and I think I'd prefer him over Robin if you're going to be the biological mother so that there might be some brunette in there."

"I think he would. I had mentioned to him about Robin donating for you, and he seemed very supportive of it. I can ask him."

"Okay then…let's see if he agrees and if Dr. Whale thinks this will work."

"I'll call Killian tonight, and then we can call Dr. Whale's office first thing tomorrow morning," Emma smiled.

"Thank you, Emma. I'm so touched that you would even offer to do this. Even if it doesn't work, thank you for being so amazing. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

 **A/N:** So, it won't be Robin after all. I actually decided pretty quickly (even before people commented) that while I wanted him to offer and for Emma and Regina to explore that option, I actually really loved the idea of using egg donation instead, because I think the idea of one partner carrying for the other is pretty spectacular. (A couple I know did this and it was beautiful. In their case it wasn't because one wasn't able to conceive, but they knew the pregnant partner had a genetic condition that she would likely pass onto a child, and they wanted to avoid that so they used her wife's eggs. She loved the idea of being able to carry her wife's child, so that always stuck with me as soon as I realized Emma wasn't ready to be pregnant in this fic, but Regina was. But then I was stupid back in the first fic in the series and used ovarian cancer as the cause of death for Emma's mother to explain how she ended up in foster care, which put a damper this idea so I had to fix that. I admittedly get annoyed when writers retcon their own fics, so I couldn't not address it lol). Anyway, I hope you like this turn of events!

I'm trying to keep my writing 2-3 chapters ahead of what I post, and last night I wrote maybe my favorite chapter ever in this fic series (or maybe second favorite, next to the coming out video chapter). That will be posted in about a week or so if I stay on my twice/week update schedule.

Next up: another time jump forward a few weeks when Emma is finishing up preparing herself for the egg donation, and she has a Yoda moment of mentoring with a young dancer at the studio. The chapter will be up on Friday (since we don't have ONCE to watch anymore. Insert sad face here.)


	21. Something in the Water

**A/N** : Thank you for your comments on the last chapter! I'm glad you like the concept of Regina carrying Emma's biological baby :) Now, to bring in some new characters we haven't seen yet in this verse.

* * *

 ** _Saturday, October 13, 11am_**

"Hey, Emma, can I talk to you?" Paige, one of the most promising students in the senior company asked at the end of the ballet class Emma was teaching. At their first competition of the season the weekend before, the 17-year-old student had been awarded a prestigious dance scholarship for a dance convention tour that would start in Los Angeles and then move across the United States the following summer. The girl had big dreams of becoming a commercial dancer in LA after graduating high school, and the convention tour was a fantastic starting point. It would give her opportunities to dance in several major cities and explore her options before deciding her next step. Emma had become a mentor to her over the past year, providing insight into dance opportunities in America for the girl to consider after high school graduation.

"Of course. What's up?" Emma asked as she disconnected her iPhone from the stereo in the studio, tossing it into her bag.

"Can we, umm…can we go somewhere more private and talk?" the girl asked nervously, chewing on her bottom lip as she shuffled her feet back and forth.

"Sure," Emma said, a sense of dread washing over her. "We can use the office. Lily is still teaching class for another 10 minutes or so, so it should be empty."

"Thank you," the girl said, struggling to make eye contact as she followed Emma toward the small room marked 'Staff Only' off the main hallway of the studio.

Emma immediately sat down in the swivel chair by Lily's desk and motioned for Paige to take a seat on the sofa. "What's going on, Paige?"

The girl looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap. She took a deep breath, and on her exhale, she hiccupped softly as she started to speak. "I screwed up."

Emma quirked a brow, appraising the girl sitting across from her. She said nothing as she waited for the young girl to continue.

"Big time," was all the clarification the girl offered.

"Paige…" Emma coaxed, causing the teen to look up at her with red-rimmed eyes. "What do you mean you screwed up?"

The girl looked off to the side, unable to look her mentor in the eye. "This morning…" she started, but she was cut off by her own sobs, unable to continue.

 _Shit,_ Emma thought to herself, deciding to move over to the couch to sit down next to the girl. Her mind immediately went back to that morning when she had been walking into the small studio bathroom to splash some cold water on her face before class. She had heard the tell-tale signs of someone throwing up, which forced her to fight back her own nausea that she was dealing with due to the fertility drugs she was taking to prepare for her egg donation. Moments later Paige had walked out of the stall, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment at getting caught, simply stating _'just some bad Taco Bell after the football game last night'_ before quickly washing her hands and exiting the bathroom. Emma wasn't fooled, though, as she had gone to high school at a rigorous ballet academy and had then been part of the competitive professional ballet world for nearly a decade. She had seen it countless times before, particularly when dancers were gearing up for stressful auditions and transitions. Paige had always been a naturally petite girl, but she knew Paige was embarking on a very stressful year. It was enough pressure to cause even the strongest dancers to struggle with body image.

"Paige," she started, "what you're doing isn't healthy, and you could cause permanent damage to yourself—"

"No," Paige interrupted her, vehemently shaking her head. "It's not that. I'm not bulimic."

"Paige, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We have a list of great sports psychologists who can help—"

"I'm pregnant," Paige blurted out, causing Emma's eyes to widen and her jaw to drop open.

"Oh," Emma managed to say when she found her voice. That was certainly not the direction she was expecting the conversation to go, and one she felt even more incompetent to address.

"I told you I messed up," the girl said again, her tears returning in full force.

"Oh, honey," Emma consoled, wrapping an arm around the girl's back and letting her cry into her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"No, it won't. And I don't know what to do. My parents are going to kill me; they'll probably kick me out of the house. I'll lose my scholarship, I won't be able to move to the US to dance…no one will want a knocked up teenager auditioning for their company or agency."

"Shhhh," Emma said, hoping to comfort the girl. "How far along do you think you are?"

"Seven weeks. I've only ever done it once," she confessed, blushing again. "We used a condom, but I guess that didn't matter."

"And you're sure you're pregnant?"

The girl nodded. "I was late, and then I started feeling off, so I took a test just in case and it was positive. Then I took another one a few days later to be sure, and I've been puking almost every morning and afternoon for the past week and a half."

"Have you told anyone else or seen a doctor?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell anyone else. My mom will kill me, Emma. And I don't even want to think what my dad will do. He's running for re-election in Parliament. He can't have a pregnant daughter. His voters would turn against him."

"Paige, you can't keep this a secret from them. They're your parents."

"If I have an abortion I can. I looked it up, and they don't require parental permission if I'm over 14."

"Oh. Is that what you're going to do?" Emma asked hesitantly, still feeling far too underqualified to be having this conversation.

"I don't know," Paige sighed. "I haven't decided yet. I always thought I was pro-life, because my parents are, so I don't know."

"Well, you should probably go on prenatal vitamins in the meantime in case you decide to have the baby," Emma offered, thankful she had been reading up on pregnancy recently given what she and Regina were about to undergo The young dancer barely nodded her head, but at least she indicated that she heard the blonde's words. "Have you talked to the baby's father? Does he know?"

Paige shook her head. "No," she said, wiping away tears from her eyes. "He broke up with me three weeks ago. I haven't talked to him since."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Emma commented. She generally tried to avoid the gossip of her young dancers' romantic drama, as they seemed to each have a new crush or new boyfriend every week, and it was exhausting trying to keep track. But, Emma knew enough to know that Paige had been dating a soccer player at her school for the past six months or so and that the girl had been smitten with him.

"He got mad that I wouldn't have sex with him again, so he dumped me."

 _Asshole_ , Emma thought, forcing her to keep herself from vocalizing her disdain. _I'm so glad I don't sleep with men._

 ***.*.***

"I'm back," Emma announced as she walked into their apartment that afternoon. She kicked off her shoes by the door, not bothering to put them in the closet, and immediately collapsed next to Regina on the couch.

The brunette was sifting through some paperwork for her upcoming cooking pilot. After talking with Robin, her lawyer, her agent, and the production studio, she had agreed to sign on as host and as an executive producer, with the addition of at least three episodes as director if the show were to be picked up. She had spent all afternoon reviewing applications and audition videos of potential contestants for their sample episode, and it was surprisingly exhausting. "Hey," she said, resting her hand on Emma's thigh as the blonde reclined on the sofa. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Emma nodded, knowing Regina was referring to the migraine and nausea that had woken up the blonde that morning.

"Good. And you're almost done with the cycle, so hopefully as soon as you stop the injections it'll subside. It did for me," Regina said. The brunette had had even more side effects from the drugs when she had gone through the treatment. Emma was having a rough time, but at least she wasn't as violently ill as Regina had been during her attempt.

"I know. And it'll be worth it in the end," Emma offered her a small smile. "And speaking of, you know Paige from the studio?"

"Your little mini-me?" Regina asked, her eyebrow raised. She knew the young dancer idolized the blonde, even trying to dress like Emma, so she liked to tease her about it.

She rolled her eyes at Regina's statement. "Yeah. She's pregnant."

"Oh my God," Regina looked shocked. "The poor girl."

"Yep," she sighed. "She feels like her life is crumbling before her. She was just starting to get some amazing opportunities to pursue a professional dance career, and now that might not be able to happen for her. She can't exactly audition for music videos or Gap commercials when she has a baby bump, nor can she tour the US on that scholarship if she has a newborn to take care of here."

"Shit. What is she going to do?"

"Right now she's thinking about an abortion, so maybe she can still start her dance career next summer. I'm just glad I wasn't ever in her position. I felt completely useless when she confided that in me, and I didn't know what to do."

"So, what did you say to her?"

"I mainly just listened to her. She hasn't told anyone else yet, so I think she just needed to vent…and I think she felt obligated to say something because I caught her in the middle of a morning sickness episode before class. She's absolutely terrified of her parents finding out."

"I remember meeting her mom at your last company performance. What a grade A psycho stage mother. She reminds me a lot of my mother, if I'm being honest."

"Exactly. Except she's very conservative. I'm betting Cora would've driven you herself to the abortion clinic if you had been pregnant at that age and she thought it would interfere with the trajectory of your career."

"Oh, no doubt."

Emma let herself chuckle, despite the morose topic. "Yeah. Well, think of Paige's mom as Cora, but super religious and conservative. I have no idea what they will do if they find out. Paige said she looked it up though and she doesn't need parental permission, so she can always do it without telling them."

"Do you think she will go that route?"

"I don't know. I think she already would have if she was going to, so I think she's still undecided."

"Hmm," Regina hummed. "I'd hate to be in her position. I feel bad for her."

"So do I. I told her to think about it and look at all her options and to tell her ex-boyfriend about it, who, by the way, broke up with her when she decided she didn't want to have sex again."

"God, what a douche."

"I know. But she doesn't want to tell him. And I guess legally she doesn't have to if she does terminate, but if she decides to keep the baby, she has to tell him. I also told her to go to the doctor and get checked out at least, and to talk to her parents. But I offered to talk more with her, too. I don't know how much help I'll be, but I want to try..."

Regina smiled sadly as she squeezed Emma's hand, threading their fingers together. "Just being there for her as a trusted adult will do wonders, Emma. Just…" she trailed off.

"Just what?"

The brunette sighed. "Just…don't do anything stupid that could get you into trouble."

"What? Like what?" Emma asked, confused.

"Like, don't offer to drive her to an abortion clinic, if that's what she decides to do. Her dad is one of the most prominent conservative politicians in this province. If her parents found out, I'm sure they would come after you, even if you didn't break a law. They have a lot of money and power in this town. Don't jeopardize your reputation, the studio or the dance company for this. And I don't want to sound selfish, but with trying to sell this new show and auditioning for things here and there, I can't risk my girlfriend being involved in a scandal like that. 'Local dancer and girlfriend of former _Frozen Mirror_ star involved in a politician's teen daughter's abortion' isn't really a headline we can deal with right now."

"I think you're being a little paranoid, Regina," Emma dismissed.

"I think I have a right to be after everything that I've gone through with my family, Emma. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there will always be someone willing to manipulate you, and some people will stop at nothing for power and to destroy anyone they think might be standing in their way. I just don't want your good intentions and big heart to backfire and screw any of us over."

"Fine. If it makes you feel better, I promise not to get involved in that."

"That's all I ask."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! So, Regina has signed on for her new project, Emma is almost ready to donate her eggs, and there's a potential scandal/drama happening with Emma's favorite student and the girl's politician parents. What could possibly go wrong? Do we think Regina is being overly paranoid about potential backlash or is she being smart?

I'm still hoping to update twice next week (Tuesday or Wednesday + Friday or Saturday), but it might only be once because I need to crank out another chapter of _Moments in Time_ , because in that fic's timeline another event is upon us. The next chapter of _A New Exploration_ though is one of my favorites in this entire series, so I'll definitely post it sometime next week. Hopefully this weekend will be productive enough for me that I can get a second chapter of this fic and my _MIT_ fic chapter ready for you all :)

And for those in the US, enjoy the three day weekend! Have a fun and safe Memorial Day.


	22. Three Minutes Can Change Everything

**A/N:** My apologies for not getting two chapters up this week, but hopefully this longer chapter is worth the wait (plus, if you're reading _Moments in Time_ , you got two updates to that fic for Memorial Day instead of the single update I had planned). We're jumping forward a little more than 3 weeks from the last chapter in this one. Also, I love all the predictions about what impact Paige and her family might have on the women. So far, no one has guessed correctly, but some of you are close-ish ;)

I hope you enjoy this one!

* * *

 ** _Wednesday, November 7, 7am_**

Emma walked into the kitchen with her hair sitting in a perfect bun at the crown of her head, shrugging on a zip-up sweatshirt over her leotard as she headed straight for the coffee maker. She quickly grabbed some grounds and started prepping her morning dose of caffeine.

"Sorry I didn't make any this morning," Regina mumbled from where she was sitting at the island, nursing a cup of herbal tea, nibbling on some toast, and massaging her temples.

"You're not drinking it anymore, so while I'm grateful for your thoughtfulness, you don't need to feel obligated to make me coffee in the morning," Emma commented as she waited for the beverage to brew. Things had gone well with Emma's fertility treatment and egg donation, and Dr. Whale had been able to use Killian's sperm donation to create four very promising embryos, and they froze the rest of his donation in case Emma wanted to try artificial insemination herself in the future. About two weeks earlier, Regina had undergone their first attempt at IVF, where Dr. Whale had transferred one embryo into Regina during the procedure and froze the remaining three in case they needed to try IVF again. They had agreed that those four would be their only attempts, as Regina refused to let Emma go through more than one fertility treatment due to Emma's family history of ovarian cancer. The women had an appointment scheduled for the following Monday morning to find out if it the IVF was successful. In the meantime, Regina had cut out coffee immediately after the procedure, just in case. It had been a hard adjustment, but the health of her potential baby and a viable, healthy pregnancy were more important. She still made coffee in the morning for Emma, mostly out of habit, while she brewed a weakened lightly caffeinated tea for herself that Whale had insisted wouldn't be a risk to a possible pregnancy and would help lessen her caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

"I know. But I still like to do it for you. And the smell of coffee helps wake me up, even if I can't drink it," Regina said, smiling half-heartedly at Emma as she toyed with the teabag's paper label hanging over the edge of her mug.

"Hey, are you okay?" Emma asked, concern evident in her voice as she grabbed a ceramic mug for herself and poured herself a cup of coffee. As she moved to sit down next to Regina, her eyes drifted to the teabag label Regina still had in her hands. "That's not your usual," she noted.

"I know. I didn't want the caffeine today because I'm already feeling nervous, so I didn't want the added jitters to make me more nauseous than I already am. I thought this might help," she explained, gesturing to the peppermint ginger tea. "Not having any caffeine this morning is giving me a major headache, though."

Emma reached over to gently massage the base of Regina's neck, hoping that might help with the headache. Then, she raised a brow. "Wait, you're nauseous? Do you think—"

"No," Regina shook her head. "It's too early for this to be that. I'm just anxious about today." It was Regina's first day filming the pilot for her cooking competition show. It had been nearly eight months since she was last on set for a television show, so she had some first-day butterflies in her stomach.

Emma eyed her suspiciously, nonetheless.

"Seriously, Emma, it's just nerves. I felt this way the day before shooting the pilot for _Frozen Mirror_ , too. I didn't eat for a good 24 hours ahead of the first shooting day because I was convinced I would puke if I did. Please don't overthink this. Not yet, anyway," Regina said, her eyes pleading with Emma.

"Okay. You know your body better than I do," Emma conceded.

"Well, I don't know about that," Regina smirked, unable to resist.

"Touché," Emma laughed. "So, aside from being nervous, how are you feeling about going in to film today? Are you guys ready?"

"It's exciting. We found two really interesting contestants and great professionals to be their teammates for the demo episode. We're filming the actual cooking challenge today, and then tomorrow and Friday we'll get the behind-the-scenes interviews and histories on the contestants. Fortunately, they won't need me for very long those days, since the host doesn't need to be on screen for most of it."

"You're going to be amazing, Regina," Emma smiled. "I really hope this works and gets picked up."

"Me too," Regina said, blowing on her tea to help cool it down. "It'll be so different from acting on camera, but it's new and exciting. The schedule would be perfect, and it really sounds like a great opportunity for the contestants, too. Everyone loves cooking shows, so I think it has potential."

"And everyone loves you," Emma reminded her, nudging her shoulder. "Your fans miss you. They'll be excited to see you on screen again."

It was true. _Frozen Mirror_ 's ninth season had premiered two weeks earlier to lower ratings than expected, and fans were still posting on social media about how much they missed seeing Regina's "Queen of the Damned" character on their television, as well as the others who had exited the show at the end of last season. Several fans had even started a petition to bring her back. She appreciated the support, but it was futile. Gold would never cave, and truthfully, Regina wasn't sure if she would want to go back, even if she were to be offered a contract without the ridiculous stipulations about her personal life. She was excited about the prospects and creative challenges of her new project, and after being part of the music video filming experience as a result of their contest entry, she really wanted to explore new creative avenues. She had an amazing time helping with the direction of the video, and she had learned so much from the seasoned professional director on set. She was even thinking she might completely take a break from auditioning for a bit, not only to hopefully have a baby, but to really give herself time to think about what was next in her career. The more she thought about it, the less appealing acting felt to her.

"Do you have a busy day today?" Regina asked, changing the subject.

"Not particularly…just our usual company class and rehearsal later this morning and this afternoon, then a short break, and then I'm teaching a private lesson for Paige. I should be home by 5:30 or so."

"Paige is still doing private lessons?" Regina asked, surprised. Emma had told her that the young girl decided against having an abortion and was planning on going through with the pregnancy.

"Yeah, she's still only like 10 weeks along, so she's not showing, and she doesn't have any restrictions yet. She still hasn't told her parents, and she's not sure what she's going to do long-term, but she still has some time to decide. She told me she wants to keep dancing as long as she can though."

Regina considered it. "It makes sense. And she's young, so hopefully she'll be able to bounce back quickly after she has the baby, if she decides she still wants to pursue a dance career after becoming a mother."

"As of now she says she does, but we'll see what ends up happening with that. I just hope that when she does tell her parents, they don't do anything rash."

"Are you still worried they might?"

"Yeah. Paige at least told Lily, too, so she's aware of what's going on. Lily knows Paige's family much better than I do, since she's basically watched her grow up in the studio. Lily's convinced that Paige's mom will kick her out of the house. She's too old to be shipped off to boarding school, but she could easily disappear to a distant relative's house over Christmas, or just get kicked out entirely."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Lily's even trying to prepare to take Paige in if that happens," Emma added. Lily, like Emma, had been a scholarship student at the ballet academy high school they both attended in Minnesota. Emma had lost her mother to cancer when she was in middle school, but Lily had been abandoned as an infant and was shuffled through the foster system throughout her entire childhood. After being put in an after-school program by one of her better foster families, it was discovered that she was somewhat of a dance prodigy. Like Emma, Lily had found a great dance teacher to take her under her wing and ultimately helped her get a scholarship to the prestigious residential ballet academy. Lily and Emma had ended up without parents in very different ways, but they had that shared experience of being 'saved' by their dance teachers. It seemed Lily was preparing to pay it forward if needed.

"Wow," Regina commented. "That's brave. Potentially taking in a 17-year-old pregnant teenager?"

"I know," Emma nodded. "But I hope for Paige's sake it won't come to that. I hope her parents can find it within themselves to be supportive."

 ***.*.***

"And cut," the director called at 11:30 that morning. "That's good for now. Let's take an hour for lunch and to reset. We'll do it all again once more and then we should be done for the day. We may even get out of here a bit early."

"The idea of taking lunch is a little ironic, isn't it?" Kristoff said to Regina as they got ready to take a break.

She chuckled as she looked over to the young Scandinavian man who had quickly worked his way up to head chef at Robin's second restaurant. The blond chef was playing the role of one of the "professional" chef competitors for the sample episode, as he had an interesting story that would help sell the format of their show to potential distributors. "Well, the crew needs to eat. Not everyone has been tasting the food all morning," Regina pointed out.

"That is true. You were great by the way. They picked the right host for the job," he said with a wink. She couldn't help but laugh. He was well over a decade younger than her and never attempted to hide the fact that he had a huge crush on her, even when she had been married to his boss. She knew he was harmless, though, and it was all in good fun, especially since he had been dating Anna, one of the lead servers, for three years, and according to Robin, Kristoff was in the process of planning the perfect proposal.

She watched as Kristoff walked away, heading toward the office in the back of Locksley Bistro. Robin had graciously closed down his flagship restaurant for the day so they could use his kitchen to film, as it was the largest kitchen they had access to for an extremely low-budget pilot. If the show was picked up, they hoped that they would be able to get their own "Kitchen Stadium"-like set.

"So, you're the professional here. How do you think it's going?" Robin asked her as he came over to where she was grabbing a glass of water from the bar.

"I think it's going well. It looked like the food turned out great. You all seemed to like it, for the most part," she said. They had already filmed an entire episode's worth of competition that morning, from the 60 minutes of actual cooking time to the introduction of the challenge portion, to the judge's taste test and final decision. They were going to reshoot the entire thing that afternoon, using the same ingredients and recipes, to have more options for the final edit when it came to camera angles, commentary, and inter-competitor banter.

"I was impressed. But, Kristoff always does well. As does Jasmine," he said, referring to the other professional chef in the episode. She was a friend of Robin's and owned a very popular South Asian fusion restaurant down the street. She owed him a favor, so she agreed to be part of the demo episode after he promised that she would have a spot on the actual show if it were to be picked up. "Of course, the home chefs are the wildcards. But, they seemed more than competent in that round."

"Mhmm," she nodded, swallowing her water thickly. She closed her eyes as it felt like it got caught in her throat.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Just tired," she recovered.

"I was going to make coffee for folks while we wait to get set up for this afternoon. Want me to bring you one?"

"No thanks," she said, not offering more of an explanation. In the time since she told him about her fertility issues, they hadn't talked any more about her plans to start a family with Emma. She didn't want to tell him about Emma donating her eggs and using Killian's sperm until she knew it would work, because she couldn't stomach the idea of having to tell people it didn't take if the procedure wasn't a success. "I'm actually going to go run a few quick errands during our break. I'll be back in a bit," she said, grabbing her purse from where she had stashed it under the bar and waving him off quickly as she exited the restaurant.

The cool November air felt refreshing as she stepped outside, turning to head toward the CVS on the corner of the street. After being under the bright filming lights and in a hot kitchen all morning, she had been feeling clammy and unsettled. The chilly air was a welcomed break.

She checked her phone messages as she made the short walk to the store, smiling when she saw a message from Emma asking how her first day was going. _'It's going well. We're done with the first run and we're doing one more after lunch,'_ she texted back.

 _'I'm glad! I can't wait to hear all about it tonight,_ ' Emma immediately replied. _'Are you feeling better?'_

Regina chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for the light to change at the crosswalk. _'A bit. I told you it was just nerves :)'_ she decided to write.

 _'I know. And good. I just don't like when you're not feeling well, regardless of the cause.'_

Regina couldn't help but smile, quickly texting: _'I love you.'_

 _'I love you, too. See you tonight,'_ the blonde wrote back quickly.

Regina walked into the drug store and immediately went toward the pharmacy counter near the back, relieved to see that there weren't many people around. "Excuse me," she said, getting the attention of the short man behind the counter. "Mr. Clark," she clarified as she read his nametag.

His eyes grew larger in recognition. "Wow, you're Regina Mills," he loudly whispered.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, though I would appreciate some discretion. I do assume you have to respect patient privacy here, correct?"

"Of course, Miss Mills," he said, blushing after being scolded. "I apologize. What can I do for you?"

She glanced around to make sure there weren't any other customers within earshot. "I'm in need of a pregnancy test," she whispered.

"Oh," he said. "Certainly. They're in Aisle 4."

"I know," she said. "But, I don't really want any customers or cashiers to see me carrying them, as I'm sure you can understand. I was hoping you might have some behind the counter that I could just pay for right here?"

"Oh," he frowned. "Well, we don't have any back here, but if you don't mind waiting I can grab a few and bring them back."

"That would be great, thank you," she said.

He quickly nodded and disappeared through a back door behind the counter, reappearing moments later in the regular part of the store. She watched as he walked toward Aisle 4, vanishing from sight behind the tall shelves.

Regina took a deep breath as she waited, her nervousness rapidly growing. As the morning had worn on, she began to suspect that she was indeed pregnant. Normally, her first-day nerves would have abated once the camera started rolling, but that underlying unease and nausea never fully went away. Her suspicions continued to grow after she stood a little too close to Kristoff and his teammate's mussel dish as it was boiling. The smell of the mollusks nearly knocked her over as she was conversing with them about their preparation method and seasoning choices, and it was all she could do not to lose her breakfast on the kitchen floor. She had never had issues with the smell of seafood previously, but the pilot episode's "modern surf and turf" theme was proving to be an epic challenge for her. She was not looking forward to doing it all over again that afternoon.

Dr. Whale had warned her against taking home pregnancy tests, because they often led to false negatives, and instead he wanted Regina and Emma to come in to his office for an in-person test a little over two weeks after her IVF procedure. They were scheduled for an appointment on Monday morning, but she couldn't wait that long. She knew it would probably be too early to tell with a home pregnancy test, but she couldn't help herself — not with the way she had been feeling all morning.

Mr. Clark quickly returned to his spot behind the pharmacy counter with three different tests. "I wasn't sure which one you would want. One of these is more for early detection, but they're all good. I usually recommend taking at least two, just to reduce the risk of a false answer."

"I'll take all three," she said, sliding her credit card across the counter. "And this," she said, almost forgetting about the bottle of ginger ale she had taken out of one of the coolers near the front of the store.

He gave her a knowing smile as he rang up her purchases, handing the soft drink and her credit card back to her as he packed the pregnancy tests discretely in a plain brown paper bag. "Good luck. I hope you get the results you're hoping for," he said, giving her the bag.

"Thank you," she replied, offering him a polite smile before hightailing it out of the store.

She made it back to the restaurant with plenty of time to spare, but decided against walking in with her purchase. Even with the opaque bag, she was worried someone might see what was inside, and it was too large to hide in her purse. And as much as she wanted to go hide in a stall and take the tests right away, she knew she couldn't do it there. Instead, she detoured to her car and threw the brown bag into her glove compartment before locking it up and heading back inside, trying to squelch the ever-growing optimism inside of her. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help but think that maybe it worked — maybe she was already pregnant with Emma's baby.

 ***.*.***

Regina walked into their apartment that afternoon a little after 3p.m. They were able to get a second full episode filmed relatively quickly, as things ran even more smoothly the second time through. The pregnancy tests had been burning a metaphorical hole in her pocket all day, though she had managed not to let it distract her during the takes. However, between shots, it was all she could think about.

Now that she was back at home, she had lost her nerve. She took the bag into the master bathroom and set it on the counter, but the weight of what it meant was almost too much for her. She managed to take the three different boxes out and lay them on the counter, but that was as far as she got.

She took a deep breath as she stared at them, briefly considering if she should wait for Emma to come home. On the one hand, if the tests were negative, she would appreciate having Emma there to help her through the inevitable disappointment. But, there was a good chance that she would get a negative result regardless, because it was still early. And if it was negative, she didn't want to ruin the blonde's day. She decided to tell herself that if the test was negative, it would help mentally prepare her for the official test the following week at the doctor's office in case that, too, was negative. Emma wouldn't need to know she ever took a home test in that case.

 _Okay. You're doing this_ , she said to herself.

Before she could change her mind, she frantically opened all three boxes, quickly reading the instructions on each. They were more or less that same: pee on it for five seconds or dip it in a cup of urine for 20 seconds, lay it flat, and then wait three minutes, but no more than five.

She wasn't sure she had to pee badly enough to get through all three at once, so she dug around the linen closet until she found the package of Dixie cups buried at the back of a shelf. She took one out and went about her business, collecting a sample and setting it on the counter next to the sink. She dipped each of the three tests in the cup for the required time before placing them on the counter. She then set a timer on her phone and waited.

She didn't want to stare at the tests — after all, a watched pot never boils — so she busied herself with disposing of the soiled cup and then spent the remaining time pacing the floor of the bathroom, fighting the urge to glance over at the tests sitting face up on the counter. She tried not to think about how her life may be forever changed in just three short minutes.

The sound of the alarm beeping cut through the silence in the apartment, and suddenly she dreaded going over to look at the results. She stood still for what felt like hours, but in reality it was only a handful of seconds. She shook herself out of it, knowing that she couldn't wait too long to look at the results. She took a deep breath and walked over to the counter, picking up the first of the three tests. Tears immediately began falling from her eyes as she cried, her arms pressing onto the countertop for support so that she wouldn't collapse under the weight of her sobs.

 ***.*.***

Emma arrived home from rehearsal much earlier than planned, as Paige had canceled her private lesson due to "the stomach flu again," as the girl's mother described it when she called to notify the studio. But, Emma knew the truth and wondered how long before the woman realized that the stomach flu wasn't supposed to last for nearly three months. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her coat and sweater as she headed toward the bedroom. Her plan was to take a quick shower to rinse off the sweat from a long day of rehearsal and then surprise Regina with her favorite meal to celebrate the filming of her first episode.

As she walked through the apartment, she started stripping off her dancewear, peeling the sweaty leotard off her shoulders and folding it down at the waist, leaving her topless as she walked into the bathroom. She jumped slightly at the unexpected sight of her girlfriend leaning over the sink with her back to the door. "You're back early," Emma commented as she pulled off her leggings, stepping out of them so she could fully remove her leotard. Before she could get that far, Regina turned around with tears in her eyes. "Oh God, what's wrong?" Emma asked, concerned. It was then she noticed the white plastic stick in her girlfriend's hand and the boxes on the counter. "Oh, Regina…" she said, her heart falling into her stomach as she stepped forward. "I'm so sor—"

Regina shook her head as she lifted the test toward Emma. "It's positive."

"What?" Emma asked, making sure she heard her correctly.

Regina smiled as a few more tears spilled down her cheeks. "It's positive, Emma. It worked. I'm pregnant."

"Oh my God," Emma couldn't suppress the massive grin spreading across her face. She took the proffered pregnancy test from Regina, looking down at it and the clearly displayed plus sign in the indicator window. "You're pregnant," she whispered reverently, her eyes not leaving the stick in her hands.

"We're pregnant," Regina corrected as she reached for one of Emma's hands, causing the blonde to look up, tears shimmering in her own eyes.

The blonde set the test on the sink and pulled Regina to her, wrapping one arm around her waist and bringing her free hand to her cheek as she kissed her girlfriend. "We're having a baby."

"Yeah, we are," Regina smiled. "I mean, assuming these are all accurate," she said as she pulled back from the embrace, gesturing toward the two other pregnancy tests sitting on the counter, both showing their own version of a positive test result. "I know we still need to get confirmation on Monday, but I think this is a good sign."

"It is," Emma smiled. "But you were so convinced it was just nerves this morning…what made you change your mind?"

"I thought it was just first-day anxiety, but then I had a gut feeling later this morning. I just had to know."

"Do you think we can get our appointment with Whale moved up? He wanted to wait for Monday to give it more time, but if you're already getting positive test results with these, maybe he can fit you in before the weekend?"

"I'll call him and ask," Regina nodded. She really did want official confirmation before she let herself get too excited. She wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks as she looked back at Emma. "You look ridiculous right now, by the way," Regina laughed when she finally took note of her girlfriend's appearance. The woman was still standing in the middle of the bathroom completely nude, aside from a black leotard gathered around her waist. Regina moved her hand and grabbed onto one of the thin leotard straps that was hanging from Emma's hips, pulling her closer to her once again.

"Well, you distracted me," Emma rolled her eyes. "I was coming in here to shower so I could freshen up before making you dinner to celebrate your new show. But, it seems like we may have several reasons to celebrate tonight."

Regina pressed her lips softly against the blonde's. "Indeed we do."

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you think, and I hope you have a lovely weekend!


	23. Something to Celebrate

**A/N:** This is a little shorter than usual, but originally I was going to jump ahead quite a bit (like, nearly a year), but I realized there were some stories I wanted to tell in individual chapters, instead of casually mentioning it as something that happened during the massive time jump. As a result, there will be a few chapters on the shorter side in the near future that take place during my original time jump period. (That was a very confusing sentence.). Anyway, here you go :)

* * *

 ** _Friday, January 18th, 9:05p.m._**

"God, every time you perform you take my breath away," Regina smiled as she quickly stole a kiss from Emma. They were standing in the hotel's large ballroom, which was rapidly becoming more crowded as important patrons trickled over from the adjacent theater.

"Yeah?" Emma asked shyly as she flagged a passing waiter and grabbed two small plates of bruschetta, handing one to Regina as she bit into her own.

"Mhmm," Regina nodded. "But you already know that. You know I'm your biggest fan."

Regina was right. Emma did know how much the brunette liked watching her dance, but even after a year and a half together, she still sometimes couldn't believe that Regina Mills genuinely enjoyed her work.

"Well, thank you," Emma smiled.

"You're welcome, dear," Regina said as she looked around the room. "Wow, there are a lot of people coming in. Lily must be thrilled."

At the beginning of the season, Lily had been promoted from Assistant Director to Artistic Director of the dance company, after the former director had to unexpectedly resign due to her husband's illness. The company's board immediately approved the selection, so Lily now worked closely with the administrative staff and leadership to help fundraise for the company. They had just finished their opening night performance for the season, and Lily and the staff had decided to host a formal opening night gala in the swanky hotel across the street. For an additional $75 over the performance ticket price, guests could mingle with the dancers, eat and drink, and bid on silent auction items. Emma had signed an old pair of her pointe shoes from her time with the prestigious ballet company in New York, Robin and some other local restauranteurs had donated gift certificates for dinner packages, and Regina had donated a signed DVD from the first season of _Frozen Mirror_ , as well as signed sides from her final episode and a few other show-related tchotchkes. The evening also provided opportunities for non-auction donations, and Lily hoped to raise enough money to underwrite a North American tour for the company.

Regina had offered to make a sizeable donation, enough to cover the travel costs for the dancers, but both Emma and Lily refused to accept it. Lily wanted to build a network of donors who would contribute annually so she wouldn't need to rely on the generosity of one person, and Emma was worried that her girlfriend's substantial financial support of the company may look like a conflict of interest, or like Regina was buying Emma's spot in the company. Regina had rolled her eyes but understood their points. Instead, she had negotiated and got them to accept a smaller donation, after she argued that if she didn't donate anything, it might look like she didn't have faith in the company.

"Well, we'll see how many of them actually donate, versus who's just here for the food and open bar," Emma commented.

"Hi, guys," Lily said as she approached.

"Hi, Lily. I was just telling Emma how impressed I am by this turnout. Hopefully you'll raise a lot of money," Regina said.

"Let's hope so," she said, nervously glancing around the room.

"Well, speaking of, I'm going to go get the silent donation party started. I'll be right back," she smiled, stalking off to a table by the entrance where a blank donation sheet was posted. For individuals who didn't want to bid on an item, or couldn't afford the winning price, there was a simple no-minimum donation station set up. They opted to have it be a displayed list, knowing that a lot of the wealthy donors liked to flaunt their donations. Lily had thought that if everyone could see the donation amounts, some of the competitive businessmen and notable community members may be more inclined to donate more, in an effort to one-up one another. Regina was the first to add her name to the list, which wasn't surprising given that the gala had just started. She listed the amount Lily and Emma had agreed to — a healthy $5000 — and initialed the form. Hopefully, it would not be the largest amount donated that evening, as there were some big names in attendance who would certainly want to look more generous than the celebrity girlfriend of one of the dancers, but it would get the ball rolling.

She detoured on her way back to Emma, glancing at the silent auction items to see if there was anything else that caught her eye. She would have loved to take the trip to Napa, but that wasn't feasible given her pregnancy. A one-week stay in wine country while pregnant wouldn't be a good use of their time or money, and she imagined they wouldn't have time take the trip after the baby arrived. Unfortunately, the other trips up for auction didn't appeal to her.

"Regina? Regina Mills?" a tentative voice asked from behind her.

She sighed and turned around, seeing a young, blonde woman standing before her, along with two other young women. "Yes?"

"Oh my God, it is you," she gasped. "My name is Tilly. And these are my friends, Izzie and Stasia. We're all big fans of yours."

Regina internally rolled her eyes, but maintained her professional mask. "Thank you, Tilly. That's very nice of you to say And it's nice to meet you all."

"Um, would it be too much trouble to ask you to sign something?" As she asked the question, the girl had already started reaching into her bag and pulling out a Funko Pop of Regina's _Frozen Mirror_ character.

"Oh," Regina said. "Ordinarily I would, but I autographed some items for the auction, and I wouldn't feel right about signing things here and taking money away from the fundraiser."

"Right," Tilly sighed, deflated.

Regina felt guilty for turning down the girl's request, and she felt obligated not to disappoint the girl. Even though she was no longer on the show, she didn't want to risk disgruntled fans. She quickly offered an alternative. "How about a quick selfie instead?"

That perked the girl up. "Really?"

"Sure," Regina forced a smile, letting the girl snap a picture with her group of friends, and then turning to head back to the safety of the people she knew.

"Hey," Emma said as Regina approached. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Regina replied, quickly relaying the story.

"I can't say I'm surprised she brought show-related memorabilia with her, though," Emma said. "They probably expected you to be here."

"Yeah…but at least that's three more gala tickets you guys sold," she offered. "Imagine how many more you would have sold if you didn't make it an 18 and older event."

Lily chuckled. "Yeah, but then the place would be overrun with your fans, and I'm not sure the big donors would appreciate a bunch of teenagers and kids running around. Not to mention we wouldn't be able to have an open bar. We need to get these people drunk so they are more generous with their checkbooks."

"Plus, that would have sucked for you," Emma said. "Hopefully there won't be too many more people approaching you tonight."

Regina shrugged. "It's not terrible. It hasn't been as crazy since I left the show, and they were respectful, so it's fine. But, it is nice to just be able to go out and have a good time sometimes without being accosted."

"Did someone mention a good time?" Killian asked as he approached. "The party can start, now that I'm here."

"What took you so long?" Emma asked, slapping his arm with the back of her hand. "The show ended almost an hour ago."

"Ah, yes," Killian said, straightening his tie. "Well, I met a lovely young woman on my way over, so we stopped by the hotel lobby bar for a quick drink."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Typical."

Emma and Regina exchanged a look, knowing that Lily and Killian had hooked up on more than one occasion over the past year. And although it was a "no strings attached" situation, Lily did have a pretty serious crush on the guy.

"But, I'm here now," he grinned, kissing Lily's cheek before repeating the gesture with Emma and Regina. "And Emma, you were stunning on stage, as always."

"Thank you, Killian," she smiled. "I'm glad you could make it up for this."

"I'm not going to miss my best friend's performance if I can help it," he said. "Besides, Montréal is growing on me. I can almost speak a full sentence in French now."

" _Excusez-moi,"_ a waiter said as he approached the foursome with a tray of flutes. "Would anyone care for some champagne?"

"Oh, yes please," Killian said, picking up a glass. "Or should I said ' _oui, s'il vous plaît.'"_ He turned to the women and winked. "See? _Je parle français_."

Lily rolled her eyes as she accepted a glass, and Emma took one as well.

" _Mademoiselle?"_ The waiter asked, turning toward Regina.

"No, thank you. I'm fine for now," she replied, her lips tightening into a smile.

"Really?" Lily looked at her suspiciously. "You're usually the first to suggest getting a drink."

Regina shrugged. "Not tonight. We brought our car and since it's Emma's special night, I want her to have a good time. I'm the DD for the evening."

Killian gave her a knowing look as he sipped his champagne. Emma and Regina had told him that the IVF had worked, since he had provided half of the donation. But, Regina was still in her first trimester, only a little over 10 weeks along, so they hadn't told anyone else yet. Not even Robin or the boys knew. She wanted to wait until she passed that critical milestone before she told others the good news.

"Does this mean I have your permission to get totally wasted to help sell your designated driver story?" Emma whispered in Regina's ear when Lily and Killian were engrossed in their own side conversation.

Regina held back an eye roll. "Fine. But if you puke in my Benz, you're walking home."

 ***.*.***

It had been ten minutes since Regina had excused herself to take a phone call from Robin, and Emma was starting to worry. She knew he knew about the gala, as he had made an in-kind donation himself, so he would only be calling if there was something urgent. She tried not to let it preoccupy her mind as she chatted with a patron, whose general demeanor screamed "old money", but it was hard. She hoped something hadn't happened with Roland or Henry.

When the conversation with the potential donor reached a natural ending point, Emma politely excused herself and walked along the far wall until she, too, could slip out the back door of the ballroom into a back hallway. She looked around for a clue as to where her girlfriend had run of to, and saw a side exit leading to a service entrance. She ventured a guess and walked toward the door, noticing it had been propped open with a brick. She pushed on it and saw Regina leaning against the side of the building, her phone still at her ear as she wrapped her free arm around her small body.

The brunette looked up and saw Emma watching her from her place in the doorway, the blonde silently mouthing "everything okay?", to which Regina nodded.

"Thanks, Robin. I have to go. I'll call you in the morning. Thanks again for calling me." She disconnected the phone and slid it back into her purse.

Emma verbally repeated her question. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Regina said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts as she walked back toward the door. "Shit, it's freezing out there," she commented when she was safely back inside. She was wearing a long-sleeved sweater dress, tights, and knee-high boots, but it was in the middle of January in Quebec and she hadn't stopped by the coat check before going outside. She had been so caught up in her phone call that she hadn't noticed until that moment just how cold it was.

"Regina…"

The brunette turned around to face Emma and grinned. "That was Robin."

"I gathered."

"He was calling because he heard from the Canadian Cooking Network. They want to air our show."

"Oh my God," Emma smiled. "That's amazing news!" She pulled Regina into a hug, nearly picking her up off the ground.

"Yeah," Regina exhaled when Emma released her. "We didn't expect to hear anything for another two or three weeks, but they loved it as soon as they watched the pilot. I guess they don't care what other pilots were submitted and don't need to watch the rest before making their final decisions. They definitely want ours, regardless. Robin got the call tonight and he wanted to tell me right away. We still are waiting back to hear from a few of the streaming services, but CCN is huge, so we'd be crazy to pass up their offer if it ends up looking good on paper."

"I'm so happy for you guys, Regina."

"Thanks."

"So, is it a done deal, then? It's official?"

"Almost. They will need to run everything by our lawyers to make sure everything looks good and that our terms are met…I want to make sure that they aren't going to try to make any drastic changes, particularly the clause about me being able to direct a few episodes, but if everything looks good, then yeah."

"And when will all this happen?" Emma asked, glancing down at Regina's still-flat abdomen.

"Robin said they would want this ready for summer. They want it to be an early summer kick-off series. They're sending over the contract offers first thing on Monday morning so that we can hopefully have the ink dry on the deal by the end of the week. They want us to start filming the six-week challenge portion in February and then the semi-finals and finals at the end of March to wrap up. We'd do promos in late April and into May, and then the show would premiere the first week of June."

Emma couldn't help but lean in and softly kiss Regina's lips. "I'm so proud of you, Regina," she said, causing the brunette to blush.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Shall we return to the party?"

"Yes, let's. And then let's get out of here so we can celebrate properly."

* * *

 **A/N:** The next chapter will jump forward a bit too and will be less fluffy. It's outlined but not written yet, though I'm still hoping to have it up next Friday per usual. Have a great weekend!


	24. An Unexpected Run-In

**A/N:** I ended up deciding to write an extra chapter before the next thing I had planned in the timeline, so here's a bonus/early mini update. I will likely post the original planned next chapter over the weekend instead of Friday just to put more time between updates, but I won't leaving you hanging too long since this is so short lol. Enjoy!

* * *

 ** _Tuesday, March 26, 4:30pm_**

Regina returned home that afternoon in a huff, slamming her purse into the wall and letting it fall onto the console table in the entryway. "Fuck," she exhaled as she shrugged off her down parka, throwing it against the closed door behind her. It didn't make a noise when it hit, but the action itself was satisfying.

"Regina?" Emma called, coming out of their bedroom in her sports bra and leggings, her iPhone in one hand and taking her earbuds out with the other. She had heard the door slam over the sound of her music, so she had stopped her ab series workout to see what the commotion was all about. "What's going on?"

The brunette growled as she stormed into the kitchen, ignoring Emma for the time being. She pulled open the refrigerator door as she searched for something, ultimately settling on a bottle of water. "Goddamnit I can't even have wine. Being pregnant sucks."

Emma held back an eyeroll. At nearly five months pregnant, Regina's hormones were all over the place, causing her to be moody and easily riled up, but also much more horny than usual. But, Emma had decided that putting up with the constant mood swings was totally worth it due to that little perk. "Regina, what happened?" she tried again, hoping to get an answer.

Regina took a long swig of her water and finally made eye contact with her girlfriend as she set the plastic bottle down on the island and moved to the tin of brownies on the counter, opening it and taking out a large chocolate square. "My mother happened."

The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what? What does Cora have to do with anything?" It had been well over a year since Regina had last contacted her mother, so Emma was perplexed.

"I ran into her today."

"Shit."

"Yes. Exactly," she mumbled, polishing off the last of her brownie.

"How though? Where? She doesn't even live here."

Regina shrugged. "I guess she's in town for a meeting or something. I don't know. Robin and I were meeting with another one of the producers and someone from the network at the Ritz Carlton after we got done filming to discuss the promotional strategy for the show. And lo and behold, Mommy Dearest walks into the restaurant just as we walk out. I guess she's staying there for the time being."

"Shit," Emma repeated. "What did she say?"

"Oh, you know, just her usual passive aggressive comments and thinly-veiled threats."

"Did she notice…?" Emma started, glancing down to Regina's stomach.

The brunette had a noticeable baby bump, but had been doing her best to disguise it thus far in the pregnancy. She hadn't announced her pregnancy to the public yet, as she wanted to keep some elements of her life private for as long as she could. The local paparazzi and fans had been mostly leaving her alone since she was no longer on a show, and she didn't want to invite the added stress. Regina had all but taken a break from social media, deciding to make her Instagram comeback when it was time to promote _Kitchen Masters_ later in the spring. But, Emma had continued to stay active, mostly to promote her dance work. She occasionally posted a photograph of Regina on her account, but she was always careful of the angle, avoiding any indications of Regina's baby bump. Regina had been able to easily cover up her growing baby bump with long Canada Goose parkas in the freezing Montréal winter while out in public, and she dressed in oversized layers when she knew she would have to be indoors without the protection of the fluffy coat. Chunky cable-knit tunics and sweater dresses had become her new favorites, along with loose oversized sweaters for more casual occasions. She didn't bother hiding the pregnancy during the filming of the episodes, though, as she would be nearly eight months pregnant by the time the show aired, and therefore there wasn't a reason to hide it on set. But, everyone involved with the show had been required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement to ensure that they wouldn't leak the news. It was also a closed set, and there were very strict instructions about what the competitors, judges, and even Regina were allowed to photograph for the purposes of promoting the show later in the spring. They were under orders not to post anything prior to a certain date, as they wanted an air of mystery and intrigue. There was only three days of filming left, and it hadn't been a problem thus far. Everyone had been supportive yet appropriately disinterested in her pregnancy.

"I don't think she noticed…at least she didn't seem overly suspicious," Regina said, addressing Emma's implied question. She subconsciously brought a hand to her belly, flattening out the thick cream-colored turtleneck sweater dress and allowing the swell of her growing child show. "She commented on my weight and said I should lay off tasting everything the chefs on the show make because it's all high in fat, calories, and salt, and God forbid I should look puffy on camera. But that's nothing new. She's never not commented on my appearance or made some snide comment whenever I gain more than two or three pounds."

Emma let out a breath. "Well, that's good at least," she commented moving closer and pulling Regina in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. She could tell the woman was still stressed, so she rubbed her hands up and down her spine. "How'd it go otherwise? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, and it went exactly as you'd expect," Regina sighed as she pulled back from Emma's embrace. She at least felt a bit calmer, but she was still frustrated. "She was condescending as usual and seemed to know way too much about our show given that aside from announcing that I'm hosting a new cooking competition series, nothing has been mentioned in the media about it yet."

"Are you worried?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm not thrilled. I want to believe that her staying at the hotel where we were having a strategy meeting was simply coincidental, but when has anything with that woman ever been just a coincidence?"

"You don't honestly think she's planning something or is somehow manipulating some master plot, do you?" Emma asked, concern evident in her voice.

Regina shook her head as she went to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of strawberries, deciding that binging on brownies was probably not the answer to her stress. "The thought crossed my mind, but I don't see how she could be. I haven't talked to her in over a year, and she's not _that_ connected. Her only connection to the industry is through me and Gold, and God knows I made sure he hasn't come anywhere near this. Before I signed on I did full recon on everyone involved in the production, and I had my lawyer do the same with the network before I signed the contract. He has no ties to anyone with the lifestyle network or the production studio, so we're in the clear there."

"That's good, then," Emma said.

"Yeah," Regina replied. "I'm sure she was just able to put two and two together. I mean, there were audition notices for the home chefs online, and there was the formal announcement that the show was picked up, which said that I'm hosting and Robin's judging, and that it'll air this summer, so it's not like it's been completely secretive. I'm sure as soon as she read of my involvement she started tracking it…ugh," she sighed. "I just need to forget about it. I'm sure everything's fine and I'm not going to let her stress me out. There's only a few days left of filming, including the finale, and it's been amazing. I'm not letting her ruin that for me. I want to enjoy what's left in case this is only a one-season show."

Emma smiled. "Good. I'm sure it'll be fine, and you should enjoy it. I can't wait to see it. You've put your heart and soul into this, so I'm sure it will be incredible."

"You're right. It'll all be fine," Regina nodded, hoping that her words were indeed true.

* * *

 **A/N:** Has anyone else missed Cora? No, just me? Okay then. (I almost had her show up in the last chapter at the gala just for fun, but I decided to make it its own thing instead. It's been too long since she's poked her head where it doesn't belong, and I wanted to check in to make sure she was still alive and kicking and her usual potentially sketchy self.) Back to regularly scheduled programming this weekend.


	25. Disclosure

**_Saturday, March 30, 9:30am_**

"You made pancakes?" Emma asked as she walked into the kitchen after her morning shower. She had put on a pair of distressed jeans and a soft black sweater, which was her idea of day-off apparel. The dance studio was closed for the week since the local schools were on spring break and most kids flew somewhere warm for vacation, so she was going to enjoy the opportunity to wear real clothes while she didn't have to teach. She practically lived in Lululemon for her job, so while the rest of the world used the weekend to embrace their yoga pants, she was excited to wear something with a little less stretch.

"I did," Regina smiled, her hair loosely falling out of the clip she had used to pull it back. She was still in her flannel pajama pants and matching button down shirt, but the bottom few buttons were open to reveal her baby bump, and the pants sat low on her hips. A few nights earlier Emma had suggested Regina buy some maternity pajamas that would fit properly, but the brunette had scowled and said she was fine. "Besides," she had argued, "I'll only need flannel pajamas for another few weeks, because as soon as the weather gets above freezing I'm sure I'll be roasting anyway."

Emma walked over to her and pecked her lips before dropping down to kiss the exposed belly, causing Regina to chuckle as she held the spatula she had been using out of the way so it wouldn't drop pancake batter on the blonde's hair. "What's the occasion?" Emma asked as she stood back up, but still resting a hand on her future child.

"I was hungry," Regina laughed. "I'm craving carbs and sweets."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Clearly our child has my sweet tooth then."

"Mhmm," Regina smiled, placing her hand on top of Emma's on her stomach. "She does."

"She?" Emma asked. "Last week you were convinced it was a boy."

"I know, but now I feel like it's going to be a girl."

Emma chuckled. "You know, there's a very easy way to resolve that question once and for all…"

"I know," Regina replied. "I keep thinking about calling Dr. Whale and asking, but then I back out. I still think I want to be surprised."

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm fine with knowing. Or not knowing. It's up to you," Emma commented as she took the spatula from Regina and transferred the last few pancakes from the griddle onto the serving dish. "The kid is going to be in baby ballet class as soon as it's old enough to stand regardless, so it'll just be a matter of whether we need to buy a teeny tutu or a tiny dance belt."

"You're ridiculous," Regina laughed as she sat down at the island, letting Emma take over the rest of the breakfast preparation.

 ***.*.***

"That was so good," Emma sighed as she sat down on the couch next to Regina after putting their dishes in the dishwasher. "Excellent call on pancakes."

"I'm glad you liked them," Regina smiled, leaning into Emma's side as she started scrolling through her emails and social media feed. Even though she wasn't actively posting on Twitter or Instagram, she still checked it regularly. Just like a lot of the world, it was how she got most of her news. When she didn't see anything of note, she set her phone down on the coffee table and picked up the remote. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," Emma said. She didn't have any concrete plans for the day and kind of liked the idea of having a lazy day at home.

And that's how they stayed most of the afternoon, falling into a rabbit hole of Netflix Originals, mostly romantic comedies that neither woman would confess to liking, even though they both knew they did. Regina ignored her phone when it vibrated on the coffee table, but when it continued to ring after going to voicemail, Emma nudged her and told her to check it. "It might be important," she pointed out. "They're not giving up."

Regina whined but pushed herself up, giving Emma the chance to stretch her legs and back after serving as Regina's body pillow for the past four hours. The brunette looked at the caller ID and frowned before answering the phone. "Hey, Robin. What's up?" she asked, looking back at Emma as she also took the opportunity to crack her back. "What? Shit. No, I haven't. Oh my God," she said, looking over at Emma, whose own eyes widened in concern. "Fuck, okay. Let me look into it and I'll call you back….and I'll take care of it….yeah, bye," she sighed, hanging up her phone. Instead of putting it down, she started furiously typing on her screen.

"Regina, what is it?" Emma asked, pushing herself up to seated.

The brunette all but ignored her, holding up her index finger to signal her to give her a moment. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

"Regina?"

"Goddamnit."

"Regina…" Emma tried again, finally getting her attention when she placed her hand on her girlfriend's thigh. "What's wrong?"

"See for yourself," she said, handing the blonde her phone.

Emma took the device and scrolled through page Regina had been viewing. "Oh my God."

"Yeah." Regina took her phone back and looked down at it once again, re-reading the headline: _An On-Set Affair? Regina Mills Seen Cuddling Up with her Ex-Husband_ and the associated subheading: _And she's pregnant!_ Immediately under the headline was a series of four medium-resolution images, clearly taken from a great distance. After looking closer, Regina realized they were taken from the opposite side of the gate on the studio lot, as she could make out a sliver of the black bars of the fence surrounding the parking lot. In the first Regina was seen hugging Robin, in the second he kissed her cheek, in the third had one arm around her lower back as he guided her into the backseat of a black town car, and in the final image he was following her into the car himself. Regina could feel a tear threatening to fall, so she quickly wiped it away. "Emma, you know none of this is true, right?"

"Of course, Regina," Emma said, surprised that Regina thought she might believe the tabloid site. "I trust you. Not to mention the entire story is complete B.S. The idea of you and Robin having some secret affair is completely ridiculous."

"Well, the media doesn't seem to think so," Regina sighed as she looked at the rest of the images once again.

The header photographs by the car were less concerning. She wasn't a stranger to having paparazzi hanging around sets, although it had been pretty tame while filming _Kitchen Masters_. But, she had still been careful to keep her long parka on while outside so that any awaiting photographer wouldn't get a glimpse of her baby bump. The hug and kiss on the cheek, and the subsequent moment where Robin got into her car didn't look great, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be easily explained. Regina knew the photographs had been taken two days earlier after they had finished filming the first part of the finale episode. Robin had gotten a phone call saying that they had been confirmed for an interview slot on a top-rated morning show that they had been hoping to land for their press tour. It was still months away, but they were excited by the news and the camera caught them during their genuine reaction. Then, they had both gotten into the awaiting car together because they were heading to Henry's school to see his 8th grade band concert, where they met up with Gwen and Emma, who were meeting them there.

No, those photographs didn't concern her. They were annoying, sure, but they had been standing out in the open and therefore fair game. But, the other pictures in the article made her blood boil. Someone on set had taken photographs of her very obvious baby bump and leaked them. And, they had managed to take a few pictures of Robin and Regina talking to one another on set, making it look like there could be something going on between them. In actuality, it was completely harmless. The photographs were from the day before, when Regina had been directing the finale episode. She had been guiding Robin through some notes for one of his close-ups at the judging table during the portion where she would interview the judges about what the competitors are preparing. It was all very mundane, but because she didn't want to disrupt the flow of the show or what was happening in the competition at the time, she had been standing close to him. Of course, whoever leaked the pictures didn't bother to take photographs of Regina standing the exact same way with the other two judges, because that wouldn't help sell the narrative.

"They don't know the truth," Emma pointed out, interrupting Regina's thoughts. "They're just trying to sell a story and make a profit."

"Well, they're definitely succeeding, then," she said as she finally started to read through the article text. It wasn't a long article, but it speculated that they were having an affair and that Regina must have gotten him the job as a judge on the show to help them cover up their rekindled relationship. And, of course, they assumed that Robin had gotten her pregnant. She continued reading: _This all must be quite a blow to Robin's wife, Gwen Arthur Locksley, who he married in a small ceremony on New Year's Eve and with whom he has a one-year-old daughter. And, what of Emma Swan, Regina's girlfriend of the past year and a half? Sources from_ Frozen Mirror, _the show that made Regina Mills a star, say that Regina was forced to leave the show because of her relationship with Emma Swan. Perhaps that was just too much pressure for a budding relationship? We have to wonder if Regina is regretting her decision to give up her starring role for a fizzled-out romance._

"God, these people are assholes. They have no shame," Regina said. "They can't actually believe what they're writing. They know it's not true."

"At least this is good publicity for the new show," Emma offered, but she received a glare from Regina. "Wait, you don't think this could have been set up by the studio to help drum up interest, do you?" Emma thought out loud.

Regina looked up at her. "Shit. I hadn't thought of that," she sighed. She paused to think it over. "But no, I don't think so. Robin's executive producing credit means that everything has to go through him. If any of the other executives did something like this, he could sue them. And he wouldn't do this to us, and certainly not to Gwen. He's extra pissed because they brought her and Jessie into it."

"Uh oh," Emma said, looking down at her own phone. "Social media is blowing up."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. I'm surprised it took this long, given that the article has been posted for a almost an hour…Dare I ask what people are saying? How bad is it?"

"Mostly a war between those who like you and Robin together and those who like you and me together. The 'Robina' camp is super excited and the 'Swanqueen' camp is devastated."

"Jesus. This is our life. This isn't like shipping fictional TV characters."

"I know. This is a bit strange, I'm not gonna lie."

"I need to put an end to it before it gets out of control."

"Just ignore it," Emma suggested.

"Really? This doesn't bother you?"

She shrugged. "I mean, I don't love that they're saying you're cheating on me. But, I know it's not true. And Gwen knows it's not true. If we go on living our lives as normal, eventually the rumors will die out and people will move on to some other scandal, so who cares?"

"I do… I just don't want this to spiral out of control and invite the fans or media into our lives again. This seems easy enough to clear up, and I don't see a downside to addressing it."

"Maybe…but they could be posting all this to bait you, too. The media and some of your more enthusiastic fans may just want to lure you out of your social media blackout."

"Well, they're getting their wish, then," she replied. "I'll write something up, but before I post it you can look at it to make sure I'm not going overboard. Is that fair?'

"Sure."

Regina quickly pulled up the notes app on her iPhone and started typing: _I'm interrupting my social media detox to quickly address the ridiculous gossip blog article from this morning. First, for the love of God, please stop spreading gossip. Emma, Gwen, and Robin are all real people with real feelings, so please stop looking for drama and stop with the bullying and rumors involving them. If you care for me as much as you say you do, you wouldn't spread gossip about my friends and family, nor would you celebrate what you think is the end of someone's relationship. To that end, Robin and Gwen are very happy newlyweds. Emma and I are very happy together. Robin and I are just friends, co-parents to our two kids, and now colleagues on a new show. We will never get back together. There is no affair. Not that I owe anyone an explanation, but because I know the rumors will continue if I don't specifically address them, here you go: The photos from outside the studio were taken after we got a bit of good news and were momentarily celebrating, and yes, we're friends who occasionally hug one another. Then we were carpooling to our kid's school for a band concert. Nothing scandalous, unless you consider a bunch of 13 year olds playing "Wooly Bully" particularly controversial. And secondly, yes, I'm pregnant. I wasn't ready to reveal that publicly yet because I'm stressed enough as it is and didn't want to add that announcement to the mix, but whoever leaked the photos on set didn't give me much of a choice. The baby is not Robin's. The baby is Emma's and mine. It's something we decided to do together and we're very excited about it, but we ask that you please respect our privacy. If and when we are ready to share more about our growing family with the world, we will, but it will be on our terms and our decision to do so. That said, I will now be resuming my social media hiatus until later this spring when we're ready to share our new TV project with you. Xo, Regina._

She slid her phone over to Emma. "What do you think?"

The blonde quickly read through it, nodding her head as she went. "Good. Straight to the point, but with an appropriate amount of 'You should be ashamed of yourselves' lecturing thrown in. It's kind of a good mom-lecture, actually. You're a natural."

Regina couldn't help but smirk as she posted the screenshot of the note. "Now, to find out who the hell took photos from set and released them. If I have anything to say about it, they will never work in this industry again when I'm through with them."

"Do you have any idea who it was?"

"Not at all," she said as she looked over at her phone that buzzed with a notification. She chuckled. "But, it looks like Robin is threatening to find out and sue them. He just retweeted my post and said he will find out who violated the non-disclosure agreement and will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, along with saying that anyone who says anything about Gwen or his daughter will be sued, too."

"Go Robin," Emma replied. "Can you tell from the picture when it was taken and from where? That might help you figure out who took it."

Regina studied it, but it was hard to tell. "Not really. There were at least a dozen PAs on set, a few interns, not to mention all the crew members. It's a frantic filming setup so people aren't in one place for too long. It could be anyone," she frowned. "We'll probably never know for sure."

"Well, you could always call the gossip site. Since it violated an NDA, maybe your lawyers can force them to reveal their sources."

"I don't know how that works, but it's worth a try….later, though. All of this adrenaline has made me hungry. Do you want to go to lunch?"

"Sure. But you want to go out? Not order in?"

Regina shrugged. "Clearly there's no need to hide my pregnancy anymore, so there's no need to rely on takeout."

"Alrighty, then. No arguments from me."

 ***.*.***

The one silver lining to the leaked photos was the fact that Regina could be comfortable when she and Emma went for a late lunch that afternoon. It was unseasonably warm for the end of March, so she was relieved that she didn't have to hide behind an oversized down coat. Instead, she threw on a pair of maternity jeans she had recently purchased at Emma's behest, a long sleeved jersey knit top, and her leather jacket, which still mercifully fit as long as she didn't try to zip it. The cling of the jersey knit showed her baby bump at certain angles, and she was relieved to be able to unabashedly show it off.

They were able to eat lunch in relative peace at a small Parisian-themed café in the middle of the French Quarter, and they walked around a bit afterward, enjoying the nice day and window shopping at the boutiques. As they made their way back to the car, Regina's phone rang. "It's Robin," she stated as she looked down at the screen and slid into the passenger seat of Emma's red BMW i3. After her beloved yellow VW Bug had stalled in early December during the first snow fall, and then wouldn't start one night when the blonde was coming home from the dance studio, Regina put her foot down and begged Emma to let her buy her a new car. Emma had refused and said she would get the Bug fixed, but Regina played the baby card, asking her what she would do if the car got stuck in a snowstorm with a baby in the car. Emma still didn't want to let Regina buy her a car, but they both knew a new car wasn't realistically in Emma's budget at the time. The brunette had said that she would buy herself a car, then, but that Emma could be the primary driver. Emma didn't love it, but at least it wasn't technically her car then, so she agreed.

"Answer it," Emma said as she signaled to turn out into traffic.

"Hang on, Robin, I'm going to put you on speakerphone," she said as she answered the phone. "Okay, there we go. What's up?"

"Aria confessed," Robin's voice echoed in the car.

"What?" Regina asked, confused.

"Aria, our production intern. She confessed to being the person who took the photos that were leaked."

Regina frowned. "Why did she confess? And why did she give them the photos?"

"She felt guilty, and I think she got scared when she saw my tweet threatening to sue whoever did it. I think she thought we'd go easier on her if she fessed up instead of us uncovering the truth," he explained.

"Okay…" Regina started, still baffled. "But then why did she do it? Why give the gossip blog the pictures?"

"She didn't give them the photos, Regina. She just took them."

"You're not making sense, Robin. What are you talking about?"

"Are you driving right now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No, Emma is. Why?"

"Because I don't want to cause an accident with what I'm about to tell you…"

"I'm listening…"

"She gave the photos to Cora."

"WHAT?!" Emma and Regina both shouted at the same time. Emma immediately pulled off the road and into a random restaurant's parking lot, because she realized that she probably should not have been driving during that conversation, either.

"What do you mean she gave the photos to Cora?" Regina asked bitterly.

They could hear Robin sigh. "Remember how Aria stayed behind after our meeting last week at the Ritz Carlton to use the restroom?"

"Vaguely."

"Well, I guess your mother saw an opening. She stopped Aria on her way out and invited her for a drink at the bar, telling her that any intern on her 'precious daughter's' new show must be talented, and that she would love to hear more. Aria told her how she's graduating from McGill this semester and hoping to get a job as a production assistant, and then work her way up into marketing and PR for a film company."

"Oh God," Regina cringed, knowing where the conversation was going.

"Exactly. Cora saw a weakness in a naïve 21-year-old girl and took it. She promised her that she would get her interviews with all the major studios, and a guaranteed PA position at a smaller studio if she helped her out. Aria said that your mother kept saying she just wanted to help guarantee _Kitchen Masters_ is a success, so she wanted a few behind the scenes photos that she could use for promos with some media outlets later this spring. Aria told her they were restricted from doing so and a marketing plan was in place, but Cora somehow convinced her otherwise. She also asked for photos of the two of us specifically, because she knew the fans would love to see it. She reminded the girl how it would help her own resume to have been an intern on a show that was a roaring success, and these photos would guarantee that would be the case."

"Sweet Jesus," Emma muttered.

'Fuck," Regina sighed. "I liked Aria."

"I know. We all do," Robin agreed. "At least the show's done, though, so we don't have to officially fire her…but, she did break a contract. Technically we shouldn't serve as a reference for any future jobs, which will screw her over. She won't get a job without it."

"Well, if my mother holds up her end of the deal she may not need them. But then again, my mother doesn't really have the ties she likes to think she does. I doubt she could get Aria as much as a phone number for a studio."

"Legally, we should also enforce the NDA."

Regina sighed. "I can't do that to the girl, Robin," she said. "She doesn't have the money anyway, but even if she did, I wouldn't take it from her. She fell victim to my mother's manipulations. She's not the first, and she won't be the last. She's a young college kid and doesn't know any better. Hell, I should have known better and I fell for it well into my 30s. Even Gold managed to let Cora manipulate him, and he's one of the best puppet masters out there."

"So you just want to let this go?"

"Not really, but it's only fair. I can't punish Aria for falling for my mother's lies, not unless I also want to punish myself for the last decade of my life. Now if we can find a way to bring down my mother once and for all, I'm 100% in for that."

"I don't think we can do anything to her. She didn't break any laws or violate any contracts. She just made other people do it."

"That's why she's the best at what she does," Regina said, dejected. "I'll think about it, but I don't think it's worth pursuing anything with regards to Aria. The show's over for now, and if there's another season we simply won't hire her as a PA."

"Okay. If that's what you want."

"It is. I don't want to ruin her life. I'm sure she feels bad enough as it is, if she was that quick to confess," she said. "Thanks for calling and letting me know."

"Of course. Have a good rest of your day, Regina. And bye, Emma," Robin said.

"Bye," both women said as Regina clicked off the call.

"Wow," Emma said.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"I guess. Part of me is glad no one purposefully betrayed us. I know how convincing my mother is. She's a legitimate sociopath, so I can't blame Aria for falling for it. I'm sure Cora made her feel like she was helping the show and doing Robin and me a favor. But, now all I want to do is think of ways to permanently destroy Cora. It seems like I can't rid myself of her no matter what I do. I'm not sure how much more of her interfering in my life I can take."

Emma reached out across the center console and clasped her hand over Regina's. "I know it sucks, and it's hard, but you have to stop letting her get to you. Maybe when she sees you don't you're not bothered by her, then she'll get bored and stop."

"I doubt it. And with the baby coming, it makes me even more nervous about what she might do."

"Maybe we can get her banned from Canada," Emma joked, but not entirely kidding. "She's not a citizen. Maybe if you get a restraining order against her it would keep her from being able to cross the border."

Regina chuckled. "That might be worth looking into."

"I'll talk to some people," Emma winked. "Ready to go home?"

"God yes. This day has been exhausting."

* * *

 **A/N:** I couldn't let Cora pop in and not meddle at least a bit :P The next chapter will jump forward a bit, farther into the pregnancy. I will do my best to have the next chapter up this week, but it's the last chapter I have written (but not the last chapter of the fic...there will be at least a few more), but I'm hesitant to post it before I at least have a bit of the one after it written. I'm entering the 3 busiest weeks of the year in my phd program, my job, and starting to teach 2 new summer college courses in that time frame, so I don't know when I'll have time to get it done. It may be two weeks before the next one is posted, just to minimize the gap between that and the one after.

Thanks for reading!


	26. An Expansion

**A/N:** This is approximately two months after the last chapter.

* * *

 ** _Friday, May 24, 5:20pm_**

"Emma, don't take this the wrong way, but have you lost your fucking mind?" Regina sighed, exasperated. "You're insane."

"I know."

"No, you're like, legitimately, certifiably insane," Regina reiterated, looking at her girlfriend as if she had completely lost all common sense.

"Regina, I know," she said as she sat down on the couch next to the brunette, absentmindedly petting Adagio, who had taken up residence on the back of the cushion.

"It wasn't even a year ago that you were insisting we weren't ready for kids, and now you want to bring _another_ baby into our lives?"

"I—" Emma stopped herself mid-sentence. She knew it wasn't rational.

"Do not say 'I know' again or I swear to God, Emma…" Regina trailed off, resting a hand on her large baby bump as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sorry," the blonde said meekly.

"Please tell me you didn't make any promises," Regina said, shifting her eyes over toward the other woman.

"Of course not," Emma scoffed. "I didn't even say anything. I wouldn't do that without talking with you first. I'm not a complete idiot."

"Well..."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're funny."

"I wasn't trying to be."

"Fine. But can we talk about this seriously for a minute?" Emma asked tentatively.

"We can try, but it's kind of hard to concentrate. I've had indigestion since breakfast since _your_ daughter insists on pressing on my esophagus when she isn't kicking me in the kidneys, and I'm going to have to pee again in like five minutes," Regina whined.

"That's my girl," Emma smirked. "A little Rockette in the making."

Regina said nothing, but sent her a glare.

"Okay, you're cranky. I get it. Maybe now isn't the best time," she said, standing up and heading out of the room.

"Emma, I'm sorry," Regina apologized. "I'm just super uncomfortable and irritable today. I feel like I gained another ten pounds since yesterday." She had recently entered her third trimester of her pregnancy, and every day she became more and more tired of being pregnant.

Emma frowned as she stopped and turned around. "Is there anything I can do?"

"If you want to give me a foot massage, I wouldn't object to it."

"That I can do," she nodded, plopping back down on the sofa and pulling Regina's swollen feet into her lap.

"Mmm, that feels nice," Regina commented as she closed her eyes.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Emma continued to work out the cramps in Regina's feet. The brunette occasionally winced and Emma was quick to apologize, but Regina shrugged her off and said it was helping, but admitted that her feet were tender in places.

"Okay," Regina said as Emma kept up her task. "Let's talk."

"Really?" Emma asked.

"Yes. Just don't stop what you're doing. I assume you can talk and massage at the same time, right?"

"You're extra sassy with this surplus of hormones," Emma mumbled.

Regina flipped her off with a perfectly manicured finger as she closed her eyes again and rested her head against the back of the couch. "Talk. Explain to me how you went from 'I don't know if we're ready to have children yet, Regina,' 11 months ago to 'my girlfriend is about to give birth and hey, let's add another newborn to the mix,' because aside from temporary insanity, I'm coming up empty."

The blonde sighed. "I don't know. The idea just kind of hit me today. Paige came into the studio for the first time in a few months this afternoon. I guess she had to go into the high school's district office to take an exam in-person or something so she could officially graduate in June, even though her parents made her finish classes through correspondence school as soon as she started showing. Her grandmother let her stop by to say hello to all of us on her way back out of town."

"How's she doing, aside from the obvious?" Regina asked. She still felt badly for the teen. As predicted, her parents kicked her out of the house when they found out she was pregnant. Since she wasn't yet 18, Paige didn't have any say in where she stayed, so she ended up going to live with her maternal grandmother two hours away. Regina and Emma still weren't sure what excuse her parents gave the school, but with her father running for re-election in Parliament, he had enough political power that the school may not have asked any questions. Publicly, he said his daughter was sick and staying with family who had retired and could better look after her while she received treatment. Somehow, the media didn't dig around for the truth, making Regina believe that he may have paid them off. Regardless, his voters didn't seem to care. His reputation as a conservative, pro-life and pro-family politician was unmarred by his teenage daughter's secret pregnancy.

"It seems her grandmother isn't the worst possible caretaker, so at least she's not miserable. But, she hasn't been able to take dance classes since her parents kicked her out, so she's worried she's going to regress. She's doing what she can on her own, but she is losing a lot of valuable training time. She still wants to try to go on her scholarship convention tour this summer, though. It starts two weeks after her due date, so we'll see if that's even possible."

"I see," Regina said, starting to piece things together. "So, based on the way you came home declaring that you want to adopt Paige's baby, I'm guessing she's not planning on keeping it."

"She can't, Regina," Emma said, her thumbs pausing along the arch of Regina's right foot. "Her parents have said they will not have any role in the baby's life, as that would be 'political suicide' according to her father. Her grandmother is too old to raise a baby, and she doesn't have any close family who could adopt it. And she's only 17. She's not ready to be a mother, especially without any familial support and with her dance career ambitions. She can't take a newborn across the US when she's going from city to city and dancing for eight hours a day."

Regina sighed. "And you think it's a reasonable idea for us to adopt a baby that's due one month before our own? I refer back to my previous question: have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Regina," Emma sighed herself. "I know it's crazy. _I know_. But, she's definitely not keeping the baby, so it's going to end up in the system. We were talking about adopting someday anyway…"

"I know, and that's something I would still like to do, but that's some day in the future, Emma, not a month before I'm about to give birth."

"Well, still. We're going to be amazing parents, Regina. I don't have any doubts about that anymore. And she wouldn't be able to find a better home for the child than with us."

"Even if I was remotely open to the idea, Emma, it's not possible. Quebec doesn't allow open adoptions, so she can't pick the family her baby goes to. And the waiting list for an infant is miles long. If we applied today it could be years before we get a child here. There's no way we would be able to adopt hers."

"Seriously? She couldn't just say she wants us to adopt her child?"

"No. There's nothing like that in place here. You can only directly adopt children of your relatives or your spouse's kids, like I did with Roland and Henry."

"Oh," Emma frowned. "That's shitty. So she has no say in selecting her baby's family?"

"Not here, no. Since IVF worked, I didn't look too deeply into what that would have entailed for us, but legally, I don't even know if you would be eligible to adopt right now since you're not a permanent resident. I think I would have had to apply as a single mother if we went that route."

"Really?"

"I think so."

"Her father's a politician though…can't he pull some strings?"

Regina looked at Emma incredulously. "Are you kidding? The only thing worse than a conservative politician having a scandal about his pregnant teen daughter would be a conservative politician having a scandal about trying to push through a less-than-legal adoption to a TV celebrity on behalf of his teenage daughter's secret baby. Yeah, I'll pass on getting involved in that one."

"Damn," Emma sighed, defeated.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I know you want to help her, and that's so incredibly noble of you, and it's one of the reasons I love you, but there's nothing we can do here," Regina said. "But, if you're serious about wanting to adopt a child in the near future, I'm not opposed to starting that process so that we can get our names on the list, or at least find out if we're even eligible to adopt here. If we're not, we can always look at adopting from the States, since we're both citizens there."

"That's probably not a bad idea, especially if it'll take as long as you say."

"Okay, then," Regina said. "We can talk to social services and find out what we need to do."

"Her grandmother lives in Ottawa," Emma blurted out.

"What?" Regina asked, confused by Emma's random interjection.

"Paige has been living in Ottawa for the past four months and will have the baby there. Would that solve the open adoption problem? It's not Quebec, then."

"I…I don't know," Regina said, genuinely unsure. "I know enough to know that it's basically considered an international adoption if it crosses over province lines, but I have no idea what the process is for that. Kathryn's cousin lives in Toronto and used open adoption to adopt his son, so it is a thing there, at least. But Paige is a minor, so I don't know if it even matters that she's staying in Ontario if she's not officially living there with a legal guardian. If she's just staying with her grandmother temporarily, I just don't know. Not to mention I don't know what the laws here are about adopting outside of Quebec."

"Can we look into it?"

Regina studied Emma's face. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" she realized. "This isn't just something you thought of today, is it?"

"I am serious about it. And you're right…I have been thinking about it since Paige told me she was pregnant. I didn't want to say anything because I knew it would sound crazy, and I didn't know if she was going to have an abortion or decide to keep the baby. And I know the timing couldn't be worse since we're going to have our newborn, so having two infants simultaneously would border on insanity, but I don't know. I love the thought of having two kids growing up together like that, so close in age…they could be best friends—"

"Or absolutely hate each other," Regina interjected.

Emma ignored the comment. "And I just feel like we could give her baby a great home, and the thought of her child ending up with some other random family…"

"Emma, her baby will go to a great home regardless…the waiting lists are miles long for a reason. There are more families who want babies than adoptable babies here, so I don't think she needs to worry about her child finding a good home. And we can give another child a good home, too, you know. It doesn't have to be Paige's."

"Yeah, I know."

"And in the long run, with Paige's parents, it's probably better not to do an open adoption for the same reason we didn't want to use an anonymous donor. I was worried what my mother might do and who she might bribe to find out the identity of a donor, and the hell that would cause if it got out. If we were to adopt Paige's baby, especially given the prominence of Paige's father, it could be a hundred times worse. You know Cora could find out and raise hell, even with the restraining order I took out against her. She doesn't have to be near me to write shit online. And Paige's father's political career might collapse in a few years, and he might come after us to exploit us or the baby. And even though I'm sure Paige is a lovely girl, she's still young. She might struggle making a career out of dance and try to write a tell-all book, or blackmail us…it's a bad idea to adopt from anyone we know."

"You're right, you're right," Emma conceded. "I just still feel bad for Paige."

"I do too, dear, but there's nothing we can do to help her in this case. What we could do, though, is help another baby in need of a home….after we get a handle on this one," she said, patting her stomach. "I'm not opposed to the idea of having two kids close in age, but I think we need at least a few months to figure out how to raise a newborn before we start adding to our brood."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, that's probably wise."

* * *

 **A/N:** Guys, Quebec's adoptions laws are crazy convoluted. I gave up researching it after two hours of trying to figure out the rules. I think this is all accurate though, but if anyone out there knows more about it, please tell me. :P

It will be 10 days or so before the next chapter is up, as it's about to get insane in my real life this week and next. But, the next chapter is mostly written, so hopefully I can finish and edit it relatively quickly when I havae some free time. By my approximation, there are only two chapters left (unless something else happens that makes me think "Oh wait, this needs to happen first."). But, I am halfway done with a new fic (it'll be a 20k one shot, I think). I'll post that when this one is done :D


	27. New Horizons

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay! But in my defense, I did at least get a new 4th of July themed chapter up for _Moments in Time_ ;). It was also crazy at work (it's new resident season so my life is miserable when new docs are running amok), but then I took vacation and zoned out for awhile. But I'm back! Here's another jump forward, this time 3 months after the events of the last chapter.

* * *

 **Monday, August 26, 12:30pm**

"Regina, relax. Please. You're making me nervous," Emma said as she placed a hand on her girlfriend's knee, which had been bouncing uncontrollably. They sat outside the office of Baron Samdi, Regina's new manager, but a longtime friend of the brunette. She had dropped her agent the year before, as she wasn't really in the mood to audition for things after deciding to focus on getting pregnant, and she had become more interested in the producing and directing side of the business. Instead, she had reconnected with an old friend of hers from college, who was now a successful manager in the industry. He took her on at a good rate, and he had strong casting connections in case she got bitten by the acting bug again and wanted to get back into it in the future. But thus far, he had proven himself to be very useful.

"I'm sorry," Regina sighed. "But it's our first time leaving Ava alone. I just want to get back to her."

"She'll be fine, babe," Emma assured her. "Robin's taking a long lunch and he clearly knows what he's doing. He's fine babysitting her for an hour or two. Plus, you saw how excited Roland and Henry were to have some time with their new baby sister when we dropped her off. It's good for them to bond, especially since they don't live with us full-time."

"I know. But it still doesn't make it any easier to be away from her. I didn't know I could miss someone this much. I know it's silly, but—"

"It's not at all," Emma smiled, reaching over and taking Regina's hand in hers. "I didn't know it was possible to love someone that much within seconds of meeting her. I'm anxious to get back, too."

Regina couldn't help but lean over and quickly peck Emma's lips, but they were soon interrupted by someone's throat clearing behind them. "Oh, Baron," Regina blushed as she stood up to face him. "Hi."

"Hello, Regina," he said in his thick British accent. "And you must be Emma. I've heard such wonderful things about you. It's good to finally meet you in person," he said, turning toward the blonde.

"You as well," she replied, shaking his hand.

"And Regina, you look lovely and elegant as always," he said, kissing her cheek as she moved through the doorway of his office.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I haven't slept more than two hours a night for the past three weeks, and I still feel like I'm permanently bloated. But it's nice of you to say, regardless."

"And how is the little one?" he asked as he gestured for each woman to take a seat in the chairs opposite his desk.

"Amazing," she sighed dreamily.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm surprised you didn't bring her with you."

"We thought about it, but we weren't sure how long this would take. She's in good hands…Robin's babysitting her," Emma answered.

"Excellent. Well, I won't keep you, then. Let's get to it."

Both women instinctively sat up straight, sensing the change from casual friendly conversation to business. Regina still felt butterflies in her stomach, unsure why Baron had summoned both her and Emma to his office. Part of her was afraid he was going to give her bad news and that he wanted Emma to be there to support her, especially given that she was only three weeks post-partum, sleep-deprived, and emotional. But, she tried not to be pessimistic.

After all, _Kitchen Masters_ had been an immediate success since its premiere two months earlier, earning the number one spot for the lifestyle network and ranking number one in reality and competition shows airing in the country that summer. She and Robin were already in negotiations for the second season, as the network had already ordered more episodes. They were in the process of finalizing the details for their contracts. She hoped there weren't any new issues popping up.

"As you know," Baron started. "The reality TV genre is a growing market here. Canada tried early on to compete with the US by creating Canadian versions of popular reality shows in the early 2000s, but it didn't really work then. But now that there's more talent and interest up here, particularly centered around Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, a lot of the networks and affiliates are interested in trying to either launch their own shows, or produce their own spin-offs from their American counterparts."

"Okay…" Regina said. " _Kitchen Masters_ has already been picked up for another season next summer. We start filming in January, barring any issues with our contracts, so we can extend the competition from six weeks to eight and squeeze a few more episodes out of it, if we want to make it run a bit longer. But you know all this already…"

"Indeed," he said. "I do."

"So, then why are we here, Baron?"

"Yes, and why am I here?" Emma added.

"Well, as I was saying, reality television is on the upswing here, and there are a lot of networks looking to capitalize on that."

"Please tell me you're not about to suggest that Emma and I have some lesbian child-rearing reality show…" Regina said. "Because if you are, you're so fired."

He chuckled. "No, Regina. I'm not an idiot. A few small cable channels did inquire about something to that effect, but I didn't even bother mentioning that to you. I know you, Regina. I'm not stupid."

She raised her eyebrows. "So…?"

"It seems like a major Canadian network wants to try its hand at the dance competition reality game."

That made Emma's ears perk up, and she looked over to Regina, who raised an eyebrow. "We're listening."

"There was a _So You Think You Can Dance Canada_ a decade ago. It only lasted four seasons, likely because it was ahead of its time. It predated all the _Dance Moms_ hoopla and all the other shows in that now oversaturated genre."

"If it's oversaturated, then why is the network wanting to add to it?" Emma asked.

"Because it's not oversaturated _here_. There's a lot of talent here, and people are feeling a lot of pride in their country…maybe it has something to do with having a pretty and competent Prime Minister. I don't know. My point is, people want to be able to work and compete here. They no longer want to go to the US to do it. And local cities want to bring the industry here, instead of draining all our talent to the US. Imagine if Celine Dion would bring her Caesars' Palace show to Montréal instead of Vegas. That's what some of the networks are hoping to do, just on a smaller scale. And networks are getting creative. Instead of recreating the exact same shows that exist in the US, they want to put their own spin on it, which may help attract viewers from the US and other countries. Americans won't watch if it's exactly the same as what's going on in LA, but if there's a unique twist and highlights local talent, then it opens up a lot of doors."

"Get to the point, Samdi. Is there an offer of some sort on the table?" Regina demanded.

He smiled at her bluntness. "An initial offer, yes. It's not great, but it's a good starting point. The executive producing group of one of the new dance competition shows saw your music video that came out last month," he explained. The music video the women had filmed with Killian and Lily as a result of the contest over a year earlier finally was released the month before. "Regina, they know you were involved in the direction of it and that you were behind the original contest entry. They loved both. They've also been impressed with the episodes you've directed of _Kitchen Masters_ , and your hosting skills. They're interested in having you host, direct, and/or produce their new show."

Regina was not expecting that. "That's definitely intriguing," she admitted.

"And Emma," he continued. "They've seen your work as a dancer and choreographer. They're interested in having you work with the contestants, either in a mentoring role or possibly choreographing or judging the competition, depending on the ultimate format they decide on."

"Seriously?" she asked, legitimately surprised.

"Yes. Now admittedly, I'm sure some of their interest is also in having the pair of you involved. Regina, you still have your die-hard fans who will watch anything you do. And a lot of them love seeing you and Emma together, which guarantees viewers. But Emma, you also have a solid group of fans from the dance world, independent of your involvement with Regina, so you'd be bringing those viewers to the show by lending authenticity — you're not a hired Hollywood type for the role, but you're someone who they can relate to and came up through the dance world. Which is why I think I can negotiate a better deal for you both than what they're offering right now. But, their opening bid isn't anything to scoff at."

Regina raised her eyebrows. "And just what is their opening offer?"

"125k just for signing on for you, Regina, and 75k for Emma, assuming the show is picked up, which they're confident it will be. Then it depends on your ultimate roles, but you're looking at a minimum of 10 to 20 thousand per episode for 12 or 13 episodes. So not huge, but on par with what you'd get even in LA for something like this. The _Dancing with the Stars_ competitors make about that, depending how far into the competition they make it. Regina, I think we can get at least a little more per week for you, especially if you end up wearing multiple hats."

Emma's mouth dropped open in shock. _Is he seriously saying he thinks $75,000 and then $10,000 per week is low? That's more than I've made in the past five years for only three months of work_ , she thought. She looked over at Regina who had schooled her features. She could usually read Regina's thoughts, but when the woman slipped into business mode, she was a complete mystery. Emma had no idea what her girlfriend was thinking at that moment.

"When do they want an answer by? And when would this all start, theoretically?" Regina asked.

"They want the show to air late next spring, so they want to move forward with negotiations quickly. They envision eight weeks of filming the actual competition portion, but another six to eight weeks of auditions leading up to it. Granted, we're talking a day or two per audition, which would be compiled into a few episodes, just spread across a couple months. Their goal is to get the auditions done in January and February, and then do the live shows in May and June. The timing works out for _Kitchen Masters_ , since you'd be wrapped with that before the live shows would start for this. There'd be minimal overlap with the auditions and _Kitchen Masters_ , but we would make sure it's workable."

"Hmmm…" Regina looked pensive. "Can Emma and I discuss this and get back to you later this week with our thoughts?"

Emma looked at her in question. In her mind, there was nothing to think about. They would be stupid not to do it. She was ready to sign on the dotted line.

"Of course," he smiled at both women. "Take your time. And I'll send you all the paperwork I have from them about it." He stood from his leather chair and extended his hand, each woman shaking it before he walked them to the door. "Let me know when you have a decision, or if you have any questions in the meantime."

"We will. Thank you, Baron," Regina said as she exited his office.

Regina could feel Emma staring at her as they walked toward the elevator, but she didn't need to look over at the blonde to know that her mouth was still gaping open. She held back a chuckle as she hit the call button for the elevator. "Go ahead," Regina encouraged as they stepped inside and the doors closed, leaving them alone in the small metal box. "Let it out."

"HOLY SHIT," Emma shouted, running a hand through her hair and across her face. "We're accepting this deal, right? I've never seen that much money in my life."

Regina laughed as she watched Emma literally do a happy dance. "Emma, chill," she said. "It's certainly an intriguing offer, but before we get blinded by the potential payout, we should hear more about the creative direction and who else is going to be involved….make sure it's a legitimate team and not something that may ultimately hurt our careers."

That brought Emma's high down just a bit. "Oh. I suppose you're right," she conceded. "But still, holy shit. This is amazing."

Regina smiled and reached for Emma's arm, pulling her closer by the elbow. "It is. And it could be fun to work together," she said, leaning in so she could place a soft kiss on her cheek, running her hands down her lower back and pulling her close.

"So you're interested?"

"Of course, if it's the right move to make. I'll know more after I look at the info Samdi sends over."

"Okay, good," Emma sighed. "I wasn't sure based on your reaction in there when he proposed it."

Regina smirked. "I never want to give away what I'm thinking. If I'm too excited, he may not want to negotiate as much. Yes, more money for us means more money for him since he gets a cut, so he should in theory want to negotiate as much as he can, but things can fall through during negotiations. Sometimes the folks like to close a deal even if there's more potential money on the table, just to make sure it actually goes through. I don't want him to know I'm _that_ interested just yet. Knowing Samdi, he'll go back to the network before I even give him an answer and push for a bit more to sweeten the deal if he thinks I'm hedging."

"Well, you have one hell of a poker face."

"That's because I'm a great actress," she winked. "Now, how about we go pick up our baby, steal some food from Robin's fridge since neither of us have gone grocery shopping recently, and head home for a quiet lunch?"

"That sounds wonderful to me," Emma replied, kissing Regina's lips as the elevator doors pinged open and walking out into the lobby with a smile on her face.

* * *

 **A/N:** This will likely be the second to last chapter, and then there may be an epilogue that'll be a glimpse into their future way down the road. Unless something comes up that gives me an idea to make this last a little longer. Realistically the next chapter won't be up this week, but it should be up the week after. And I have two fics in the works that I hope to publish once this one is done :)


	28. A New Exploration (The Final Chapter)

**A/N:** My sincere apologies for the nearly 2-month delay. I had known what I wanted to do for this final chapter, but it took me far too long to finally get it down on paper, partially because my teaching load of college courses this summer was way too high and I haven't had time. But, I've also had so much fun writing these two that part of me didn't want it to end (and it hasn't yet, as there will be an epilogue flash-forward, but not for awhile). It was also a pain to research because Quebec has a lot of very convoluted laws and I wanted to try to be accurate as much as possible. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Monday, October 14, 4pm.**

Regina stared down at the mountain of paperwork in front of her, a grimace on her face as she rocked baby Ava gently in the pram next to her.

"Here, you look like you need this," Emma said, sliding a pint of IPA to her girlfriend as she sat down across from her at the small brewery they had started to frequent. It was quiet during the day, and no one bothered the couple when they were there, so they often came there when they wanted to escape the apartment for a bit to get some work done.

"Thank God," she sighed as she took a sip, relishing the taste. She rarely allowed herself to drink since she was breastfeeding, even though Dr. Whale had assured her that as long as she waited a bit before nursing, there wouldn't be any harm to Ava. "I just don't understand why there's so much paperwork."

"Are you kidding?" the blonde raised a brow. "I'm glad there is. It means they're thorough."

"I know, but it's still so frustrating and confusing. Even after talking with Victoria I'm confused," she stated. The women had met earlier in the day with Regina's attorney, who had seen her through her prenuptial agreement with Robin, the adoption of the boys, and the divorce.

Emma sighed as she picked up a form from the stack next to the one Regina was working through. "What am I looking at?"

Regina glanced up and let out a frustrated groan. "I have no idea. I think that's the citizenship paperwork? Or it might be the passport?" she peered closer at the paper in Emma's hands. "Yeah. That's the one we need to fill out and deliver to the consulate to get Ava US citizenship since she was born here."

"Okay. That sounds simple enough."

"Yeah, that's the most straightforward one. These adoption applications though are insane," she said, gesturing the larger pile of paperwork. "And Victoria's still not totally clear on whether you can even be listed on here as an adopter. She's checking with someone a bit more well-versed in immigration law."

Emma frowned. She knew that would likely be a roadblock. As a non-resident, it had been convoluted as it was to get listed as the legal second parent to her own genetic baby who Regina had carried. Adopting a child seemed to be a bigger issue, and there was a good chance Regina would have to apply as a single-adopter, and then figure out how to get Emma added after the fact. "We'll figure it out."

"I know, but I hate the idea of moving forward with this without you," Regina said, biting her cheek to hold back the tears she could feel forming. _Damn post-partum hormones_ , she thought to herself.

"Maybe we should get married," Emma joked. "That'd solve the residency issue."

Regina looked up. "What?"

"I was kidding, Regina. I wouldn't suggest getting married just because it would solve the immigration issues. Pretty sure the Canadian government wouldn't love that idea, either."

"Right," Regina looked back down at the papers in front of her. "I'll just leave our names blank for now until we figure that part out. How do you feel about your writing skills?"

"Uh, fine?" Emma didn't sound confident.

"There are essay questions. Lots of them," Regina said, passing the application packet across the table.

"Weren't you an English major in college? You should probably be the one to write these."

"English minor."

"Well, still. I barely had the chance to compete a year of community college before I moved up here, and I haven't had time to re-enroll."

"Is that something you want to do?" Regina asked. They had talked about it back when Emma was still living in Maine. She had wanted to give herself options to fall back on in case her dance career came to an abrupt end. There was so much uncertainty in that world with injuries and competition, and she was already 'old' by dance standards. She had been taking a few courses back in Storybrooke to brush up on her business skills in case she one day wanted to run a studio or a larger company, and some general education courses to explore other career paths.

Emma shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I feel pretty confident that I've established myself enough now that even if I can't perform anymore, I will still be able to have a career, degree or no degree."

Regina wanted to add "and you have me," but chose not to. They had worked past the issues of the vast differences in net worth between the two women, but it was still a touchy subject. She knew Emma wanted to be able to support herself without Regina's help, and Regina wanted to respect that. Instead, she replied: "Well, you have time to decide. And there are so many online programs now that you don't have to worry about scheduling conflicts with rehearsals or with filming our show later this spring."

"True. Maybe I should go to law school, and then I would be able to figure out what the hell this form is asking," she said as she looked closer at the citizenship paperwork. "I thought you said it was straightforward."

Regina chuckled. "I said it's the _most_ straightforward. It's still a pain in the ass…but, you'd be a hot lawyer, if you decide to go that route. I'm all for it."

 ***.*.***

"Well, that's one stack of legal forms down, only a few more to go," Regina commented as they pushed the pram toward Starbucks the next morning. They had successfully had their meeting that morning at the consulate to start the process of getting Ava U.S. citizenship and a passport, so things were starting to fall into place. "Will you find a spot and be on Ava duty for a few minutes? I can go get our drinks."

"Of course," Emma smiled, taking the handle of the pram and navigating toward the outdoor seating area. She found a secluded spot in the corner of the small fenced-in patio section, moving one of the chairs to another table to make room for their daughter's stroller.

"Here you go," Regina said as she made her way toward them five minutes later, placing the grande cup in front of her girlfriend. "Americano, extra shot."

The blonde chuckled. "We're so predictable. Nearly two and a half years and neither of us have changed our order. We're so boring."

"I wouldn't say that," Regina smirked as she took a sip of her own.

"What?" Emma asked, her brow raised. "What is that look for?"

Regina shook her head as she chuckled and used her finger to boop Ava on the nose. "Nothing. Nevermind."

"Okay…" the blonde decided not to press the issue. "So, now that the consulate stuff is pretty much done, what's next?"

"Well, there are a few more steps in that process, but we have to wait for them…so now we can focus on the adoption process."

"Okay, good," Emma nodded. "Any news from Victoria on how we should handle the adoption paperwork?"

Regina shifted slightly in her seat. "Nothing concrete. She suggested just putting my name down for now, and then we can talk to the agency and explain the situation once they do all the interviews and home visits. They can explain the next steps. Hopefully, it shouldn't be an issue."

"If that's what we need to do, then we can do that."

"I know. It's just shitty."

"Yeah, but I love you, and I love Ava, and I will love whoever will ultimately become our next child. It's worth it," she smiled, taking Regina's hand in hers on top of the table.

"I love you, too," Regina said unnecessarily. "So much." She leaned across the table to quickly peck Emma's lips. As she pulled back she disconnected their hands and picked up Emma's coffee cup. "And actually…"

The blonde looked over in confusion as Regina pulled off the cardboard coffee sleeve from the Starbucks cup before setting it back down. "What are you…" Emma trailed off as Regina twisted the cup, revealing the black Sharpie markings that were hiding under the cardboard. Underneath the barista's handwritten _Emma_ on the side of the cup were two words in Regina's handwriting: _Marry Me?_ "Oh my God," Emma looked from the cup up to Regina's face. The brunette was biting her lip, her eyebrows raised slightly as she waited for a response. "Are you serious? This isn't just because of what I said yesterday…"

"Yes, I'm serious. And no, it has nothing to do with that. I mean yeah, it'll make things a bit easier, but that's irrelevant. I want to marry you, Emma. I've wanted that for a while now, but I was afraid to admit it because of all the drama that has been my life for the five years before I met you. But it's all been worth it to get to where we are, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and to keep building our family. I've been waiting for the right time, and when I realized this morning that today marks the second anniversary of you moving to Montréal and into my apartment, it seemed like the perfect time to give you this…" she said, taking a small box out from her purse. "I've been carrying it around for weeks now waiting for the right moment, and I actually had a whole thing planned for dinner tonight, but since our story started at a Starbucks, I figured I'd scrap the whole dinner production and just go for it," she rambled, opening the box and turning it to face Emma.

"Oh my God," Emma repeated, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to focus on the simple white gold ring in front of her. It had several small diamonds embedded in the band, with three modest diamonds as its main feature. It was beautiful, but understated and perfectly Emma. She was floored.

"Well?" Regina asked. She was growing nervous, as Emma hadn't responded. They had talked about their future, but not concretely about marriage, so Regina was getting worried that maybe it wasn't something Emma wanted.

"Of course I'll marry you, Regina," she finally said, leaning across the table to pull the brunette in for a kiss, ignoring the looks they were getting from people walking by on the sidewalk.

"Thank God," Regina laughed as she started to cry. "Is the ring okay? If not we can pick out something different. I know we never talked about it so I wasn't sure what you'd like, but I wanted to find something that you could still wear in rehearsals and performances and wouldn't be too flashy or obtrusive—"

"Regina, it's perfect," Emma commented, cutting off Regina's rambling. "I love it."

"Really?"

"Really," she smiled. "So, will you do the honors?" she asked, extending her hand across the table.

"Happily," the brunette smiled as she slipped the ring onto her finger.

"Perfect fit."

 ***.*.***

"I can't believe we did that," Emma said the next night as she laid in bed, kissing Regina's bare shoulder that rested against her chest.

"Any regrets?" Regina asked, looking over her shoulder before turning to face the blonde, a hint of nervousness underlying what she hoped sounded like amusement in her voice.

"Of course not," Emma replied, pulling Regina closer to her and rolling onto her back, bringing Regina on top of her as she kissed her again. "It's certainly not how I expected the last 48 hours would go when I woke up yesterday morning, but believe me, I have no complaints. I can't imagine it going any differently for us. I've never been this happy."

"Good," Regina smiled, releasing a breath. "Neither have I." She sat up and straddled Emma's hips, reaching until she found the blonde's left hand resting by her side. She grazed her index finger across the back of her hand, running her finger along the blonde's knuckles until she came to the new jewelry adorning her finger. She smiled down at the woman below her, bringing their conjoined hands to her lips as she lovingly placed a kiss on her ring finger.

Emma couldn't help but smile as she watched the tender action, immediately seeking out Regina's free left hand with her right and repeating the action. She brought the brunette's hand to her lips and ran a finger over the matching jewelry on Regina's hand. "Do you think Victoria is really going to kill you for not talking to her first?"

"She might, but fuck Victoria," Regina laughed. "I don't care what she thinks. I don't care what anyone thinks…except you. And Ava, but she's a bit young to have an opinion on this matter. And Henry and Roland seem happy about it. And I don't plan on requiring her services in the future."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that, " Emma smiled. She then pushed herself up to a seated position, wrapping her arms around Regina's waist and quickly kissing her cheek. "I want more cake," she stated as she tapped Regina's hip to get the woman to move off her. "Want me to bring you a piece?"

"Mmm, yes please," Regina sighed as she shifted herself to her side of the bed, resting against the headboard with the sheets loosely pulled over her.

Emma grinned. "Be right back."

Regina laughed as the blonde ran out of the room, stark naked, and returned moments later with the tray. "Emma, I said a piece, not the entire thing."

"Yeah, well, it's fucking amazing cake, and I worked up an appetite. I figured you may have as well."

Regina smiled as Emma started to cut a slice. "I think Gwen went a little overboard," Regina commented as she looked at the huge celebratory red velvet cake the woman had baked.

"She definitely found her calling in the baked goods industry. My god," Emma said as she went to lick some smeared frosting from her finger, only to have Regina intercept it and beat her to it, causing the blonde to moan at the action.

Regina chuckled as she pulled back, releasing Emma's finger and instead leaning in to kiss her once more. She then looked back down to the dessert in front of them, smiling at the words _Congratulations, newlyweds!_ that were written across the top with perfect frosted calligraphy, although it had been butchered by the missing pieces of the delectable dessert. She couldn't help but replay the previous day in her mind as Emma carefully plated their slices.

After she had proposed the previous morning, they had done some window shopping in various boutiques, talking about their future and what kind of wedding they would want to have. During the course of their conversation, both women realized that they didn't want a huge wedding, nor did they want to wait. They found a pair of rings they loved at one of the small jewelry stores and promptly purchased them. On their way home, they stopped by the courthouse to find out the process for a marriage license. Regina had tried to talk the judge out of the usual mandatory notice of marriage, which would require them to wait at least two weeks and have their intention to marry publicly posted to allow for objections. Regina had explained that between the close scrutiny of their relationship by the media, her desire for privacy, and the restraining order she had out against her mother, the public posting period wasn't an option. She had told him that although they'd love to get married in the town where they fell in love and now called home, they had no problem driving across province lines where they wouldn't have to go through the process. The judge apologized but said there wasn't anything he could do because it was Quebec's law. But, it didn't turn out to be a bad thing.

They had returned home that night, frustrated by the judge's decision but not letting that stop them from the excitement of their plans to elope, so they turned to the internet to explore their options. They had found a cute courthouse in Ottawa, Ontario, which was only a short two hour drive away. Regina had called to confirm that same-day marriages were permissible and so they made an appointment for 10am the next morning to come fill out the marriage license paperwork. She had then called Robin to ask if he and Gwen would be available to be their two required witnesses, and so that the boys could be there. He had immediately agreed. Gwen then offered them use of her family's campground as a location for the ceremony, rather than the courthouse, as it was just an hour or so past Ottawa along the edge of one of the provincial parks. Regina and Emma could stop by the courthouse to fill out the license on their way to the cabin, and Gwen's father could marry them, as he had become ordained when the family campground became a moderately popular destination wedding location. She also said that she would make sure they had access to one of the more romantic cabins for the wedding night and a few days after, if they wanted to stay up there for an impromptu mini-honeymoon, and that she and Robin would be happy to keep little Ava for a few days. They both had immediately taken her up on her generous offer. Emma had also called Killian to see if there was any chance he would be able to get a flight on such short notice. The lack of direct flights was an issue, but that didn't stop him from getting in his car and making the eight hour drive to meet them in Ontario late that morning. Having Killian standing behind her as man of honor as she married the love of her life had meant the world to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Emma asked, pulling Regina out of her reverie.

She couldn't help but smile. "Just today, and how perfect it was." It had been a simple wedding, but was still beautiful. They hadn't had time to go dress shopping, but they both managed to find the perfect options in their existing wardrobes. Emma had opted to wear a long champagne-colored soft tulle skirt that she had bought for an upcoming gala for an opera company in Canada. The black satin waistband contrasted with the mock-neck halter style white lace bodysuit she had worn, which was a leftover costume piece from a short dance film she had done for a company online fundraiser a few years earlier. Even though Emma had pieced it together from things she already had, it had been stunning. Regina didn't have any bridal-appropriate dresses, but she did have an ivory wide-leg jumpsuit that she had not yet worn and had been saving for the right occasion. The deep v-neckline accentuated her cleavage well, especially with the delicate gold bodychain she had decided to wear to add a little something extra to the piece.

"It really was perfect," Emma said as she took another bite of cake, a small moan escaping her lips. Gwen had taken advantage of Emma and Regina's time spent at the courthouse filling out the legal forms to get a head start on preparations at the campgrounds, including taking it upon herself to make them the last-minute wedding cake. After moving to Montréal full-time after Robin and Regina officially separated, Gwen had found a new passion in baking, and it turned out she was extremely talented. Robin had even had her provide dessert at a few special events, and now they were in talks of opening a new bakery café together to expand upon his existing portfolio of restaurants. She had surprised the newlyweds with the massive cake after the ceremony had finished and the small group relocated to her parents' large back deck for a celebratory dinner and champagne. There had been plenty leftover, which Emma wasted no time in sneaking back to the cabin where they were staying, knowing they would want a midnight snack.

"Mmm," Regina sighed as she plopped back on the bed, her slice of cake completely devoured. "I can't eat anymore. I'm so full," she said draping an arm across her bare stomach.

Emma laughed as she set the cake tray aside on the floor next to the bed, then rose onto her knees as she slowly crawled across her wife's body. "You sure about that?" she said softly, placing a kiss underneath Regina's jaw as she reached for one of Regina's hands and brought it in between her thighs. She smiled as she heard and felt Regina's reaction, a soft gasp and whimper that she could feel underneath her lips as she continued kissing down the side of Regina's throat.

"Fuck. Okay, I was wrong," she confessed as she tried to regulate her breathing. "I want you. You have five seconds to get up here," Regina groaned, grabbing Emma's ass and pulling her toward her.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she chuckled as she made her way toward the head of the bed.

Regina smiled as she looked up at her wife's smirking face as she hovered above her. "That's 'Mrs. Your Majesty' to you."

* * *

 **A/N:** I received a prompt for some family fluff in the future, so the epilogue will be about 4 or 5 years later in the timeline. I don't know when it will be up (hopefully sometime in the next few months), but for now I'm marking this complete, because this felt like a natural ending point for this journey with these two versions of Regina and Emma. Thank you to everyone who read this fic, especially those who have been here since the beginning of the first fic in the series who helped motivate me to continue. It's been almost a year and half of my life in this verse, which is completely crazy to think about (and to know that there are people who have spent that much time reading it, too, baffles me, but I'm so grateful). This series was my first ever SQ fic, and first ever LGBT fic, and my longest fic/series ever. I thank you for being so supportive as I made my way into the fandom. I hope to see you around for some of my other planned fics, and ICYMI, while I was procrastinating this final chapter, I wrote a 15k word fic called "How Am I Supposed to Pretend I Never Want to See You Again" with professor Emma and college student Regina.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you'll all be back for the epilogue, whenever that gets posted :)


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